Artists with Biwa, Pipa and Oud

Three artists with Biwa, Pipa and Oud in Lute Festival.

G and F whom I have met on a Sunday Xiangqi tournament, have let me know of a Lute's concert tomorrow. Here are the informations given to me which they wished also to pass on to people who may be interested. Perhaps the blog is of some use in this way.

Biwa, Pipa, Oud: Lute Fest!

Cheng Yu (Chinese pipa)
Ahmed Mukhtar (Arabic oud)

Wednesday 18 January, 7.00pm
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre
SOAS Thornhaugh Street, Russell Sq, London WC1X

Admission FREE, NO ticket required

These three widely recorded artists introduce the ※pear-shaped lutes§ of their cultures in a unique comparative concert. Each performer will showcase their instrument via both a traditional and a modern piece, and the evening will conclude with a short jam session.

Junko Ueda is at home both with the traditional satsuma-biwa repertoire and with the works of contemporary composers such as Takemitsu. Her teacher, Tsuruta Kinshi, was the artist for whom Takemitsu wrote his famous November Steps and Eclipse.

Ahmed Mukhtar has spent over a quarter-century mastering traditional oud techniques, while also extending the repertoire and style further in his own compositions. Raised in Baghdad, he is now based in London and studied for his MMus at SOAS.

Cheng Yu was formerly pipa soloist with Beijing ' s Central Orchestra of Chinese Music. She gained her PhD at SOAS, and currently performs and records widely in the UK and elsewhere on both pipa and the guqin seven-string zither.