A Chat with Soloist QiQi Lu on the Guzheng

Ahead of our concert Songs of Spring, we had a chat with soloist QiQi Lu about The Butterfly Lovers Concerto and the guzheng.

Hailing from Melbourne Australia, talented Guzheng instrumentalist QiQi, creates a magical atmosphere, captivating audiences with a blend of classical and folk styles. 

QiQi has performed extensively as a soloist as well as collaboratively with lion & dragon troupes, dance groups, bands and orchestras at many venues throughout Victoria. Some events and venues include - Botanic by Night (City of Casey), National Gallery of Victoria, Sovereign Hill Ballarat. Golden Dragon Museum. Chinese Museum (Melbourne), Yi Yuan Gardens. Bendigo Easter Festival. Encore Events Centre. Australian Open. Crown Palladium. Premier's Gala Ball. Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, White Night Melbourne, Springvale Snowfest, Victorian Youth Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Melba Hall), Park Hyatt, Chadstone & Eastland Shopping Centres, Moonee Valley Racecourse, Williamstown Town Hall, Point Cook and Glen Waverley Chinese New Year Festivals, Newport Folk Festival (Substation), Werribee Mansion (Wyndham Children's Picnic).

Hi QiQi. We are so excited to have you as a soloist on the guzheng for The Butterfly Lovers Concerto. To start off, can you tell us a bit about your involvement with music, and about any current projects you are involved with?

Music has always been a part of my life, for as long as I can remember. I grew up listening to music of every genre and my first instrument must have been voice. We used to sing in all our car rides everywhere! I even sang with Opera Australia’s Children’s Choir for Cavalleria Rusticate/Paggliacci.

Many facets of my life is surrounded by music, as I play several instruments.
I head the dragon music team for a Lion and Dragon Performance Troupe where I play percussion, drums and guzheng. I also play the double bass with VYSO and this year with AYO and ARCO too.

What types of music have you been influenced by?

I see my playing style as a culmination of all the music I’ve been inspired by. I’ve been surrounded by culturally diverse music all my life, from folk, Jazz, to African drumming. Namely, my guzheng teacher and performer Mindy Meng Wang, who plays with such passion and storytelling, someone I aspire to imitate. And for my love of rock music, as those musicians inspire me with their infectious energy and their obvious love for their craft.

Tell us a bit about your journey with the guzheng. When did you start learning it? And how did it first pique your interest?

It’s quite a funny story about how I came to play the guzheng. My mum loves to watch chinese period dramas and in many of those, the guzheng is played in beautiful imperial settings as well as being used as magnificent weapons, where each strum will exude a huge electromagnetic force! When I asked to learn a new instrument, she showed me an array of videos where the guzheng has been depicted as magical, beautiful instruments but also as something that’s been used to fight the villains! I couldn’t say no to that! And the rest is history.

How is it similar or different from playing the double bass for you?

The guzheng for me is always about conveying a story, painting a picture and taking the listeners on a journey. The double bass is more about showing pure emotion. Being bowed and of a much lower register, the double bass can really be felt in our bodies and I feel one with the instrument. While the guzheng uses very delicate hand gestures to exact each unique sound on its 21 strings.

For people unfamiliar with the instrument, what can you tell us about the guzheng?

The Guzheng is a 21 string Chinese Zither which has its origins dating back some 2600 years. A modern guzheng can be described as a harp with a resonating chamber that is perpendicular to the strings. The strings are plucked, pulled, pushed to create music notes, change the pitch and create vibrato, often using finger plectrums. The guzheng has a rich, resonant tone, which is wonderful for storytelling and taking the audience on enchanting journeys. The name guzheng, literally translates to ‘ancient zither’ with ‘Gu’ meaning old and ‘Zheng’ being a Chinese zither.

Talk to us about this collaboration with VYSO. What has the process been like for you?

When I first pitched the idea of playing The Butterfly Lovers Concerto with VYSO last year, I was hopeful but wasn’t sure that it was going to be possible. I have grown up listening to the song and it’s been a dream to play it with an orchestra.

It’s been a long, interesting and very challenging journey to obtain the concerto written for the guzheng. VYSO and its network of wonderful performers have fully supported the mission to find the music, and through a network of music lovers worldwide, we were able to source the music. I am so grateful and ever so excited to play this concerto with VYSO.

Tell us about The Butterfly Lovers Concerto. What is the story behind it?

The butterfly lovers is one of china’s four great folktales. The concerto depicts the classic love story between Zhu Lingtai and Liang Shanbo. Who after conflict and struggle are able to live together in happiness beyond the grave as butterflies.

What can the audience expect? What are some features that you want to highlight for the audience?

The guzheng is the voice of our main character Lingtai. Watch for the interactions between guzheng and the cello, as it represents conversations between Lingtai and Shanbo.

The concerto takes much inspiration from the opera, often very literally with different instruments voicing respective characters. Every scene and movement represents a story element, see if you can identify the characters, their dynamics and their journey.

Lastly, is there anything else you want to tell us about the music, the instrument or about yourself?

This concerto is very near and dear to my heart, I am ecstatic about this opportunity to share it with you.

Let VYSO take you on a journey through the story of butterfly lovers, follow Lingtai as she, disguised as a man falls in love while achieving her education, how she is forced into an arranged marriage, and how she and Shanbo end up together.

Join VYSO at Songs of Spring, featuring The Butterfly Lovers Concerto with QiQi Lu as soloist on the guzheng.