The Art of Suzhou and Tianjin Narrative Song at Esplanade Recital Studio

China is home to a rich variety of narrative song genres, where performers would sing stories of past heroes, of romance and of everyday affairs with the accompaniment of traditional instruments. One of the narrative styles very much alive today is that of Suzhou Pingtan. Native to the Jiangsu region in Eastern China, the art form is performed by two people who would banter and sing while playing plucked lutes. Another popular style would be Meihua Dagu. Originating in Beijing and popularized in the northern city of Tianjin, it features a lead singer who would play a small drum and clappers in concert with a quartet of different string instruments.
The Ding Yi Music Company brings to you an intimate concert showcasing two leading practitioners of these vocal arts – the rising stars of Pingtan music Zhang Ling Ping and Tang Wei Yu and acclaimed Meihua Dagu artist Yang Yun. Apart from the two genres performed in their traditional format, the concert will also feature world premieres of two compositions written by Cao Wen Gong, which draw inspiration from these narrative forms.