North American Guqin Association

Celebrating the First Ever Guqin Day, A Series of NAGA Events

 

On June 19th, 2007, Mayor Jose Esteves of Milpitas CA announced the following:

I, Jose Esteves, Mayor of Milpitas, recognize and commend Wang Fei and her North American Guqin Association for their achievements in using the guqin as a bridge between American culture and Chinese culture in the United States, for their efforts to restore and promote the significance of this world heritage art form, and proclaim November 7 in Milpitas as GUQIN DAY. For more detailed coverage please see http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/07nagaevents/nagaguqinday0619.htm.

 

This is the world's first festival to date to be established for China's oldest plucked-string instrument, the guqin. A series of guqin events were held to celebrate the day.

 

1. NAGA director Wang Fei has been invited by people.com.cn, the largest news media organization in China, to give a live video interview on November 7th, Beijing time. In this interview, Besides performance by using a 1200-year-old guqin, she discussed guqin culture and guqin diplomacy. In conjointion with this interivew on the Nov. 7th Guqin Day, mayor Jose Esteves of Milpitas sent a greeting letter to people.com.cn.

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You can log in at URL http://culture.people.com.cn/GB/22219/6475457.html

To w atch the video, please go to http://tv.people.com.cn/GB/14644/6492109.html

Read the text interview at http://culture.people.com.cn/GB/42496/42502/6497638.html

In conjunction with this interview on Nov. 7th Guqin Day, mayor Jose Esteves of Milpitas sent a greeting letter to people.com.cn.


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2. Music from the Middle Kingdom: The Guqin in Chinese Culture, a presentation in the Milpitas Library on Nov.17th, 2007

Please see event flyer at

http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/07nagaevents/1107flyer.pdf


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This event included a slide show presented by Wang Fei portraying guqin history and its impact in Chinese culture. Exquisite color slides of famous Chinese paintings of qin players accented the guqin ' s consistent presence throughout Chinese history. The symbolisms of the guqin ' s features were explained and its basic fingerings were demonstrated. Wang Fei performed a number of pieces ranging in age from 200 to 1400 years. Several pieces included singing accompaniment or poetry recitation. A video of Wang Fei performing to shifting scenes of Bay Area landscapes added to the afternoon ' s tranquil atmosphere. To conclude the event the audience joined in singing the refrain to an ensemble playing of Yang Guan San Die, a famous piece on the theme of parting.

3. Scholarly Arts of China: The Guqin in Chinese Culture, a presentation in the Union City Library on Dec. 1st. 2007

 

Please see event flyer at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/07nagaevents/1201flyer.pdf


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The day 's proceedings included a slide show highlighting the guqin ' s history as a scholarly tradition. In addition the audience was treated to live guqin performance, singing, and poetry recitation. Wang Fei played pieces associated with famous scholars such as Confucius and Cai Wenji.

An intriguing rendition of “Fair, Fair” Cry the Ospreys 關雎 ( Guan Ju ) from the Book of Odes was sung by Wang Fei while she and Kwan Wong played a duet.Kwan Wong also sang during his solo of Feng Qiu Huang. A number of attendees eagerly donated to NAGA in order to receive the complementary gifts available. One specifically wanted the video he had just seen that includes Wang Fei performing Ou Lu Wang Ji to shifting scenes of Bay Area landscapes.

 

 

North American Guqin Association

http://www.guqin.org

 

 

 

 

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