Today Hong Kong TV channel ATV (Asia Television Limited) broadcast an interview with Lunlun Zou during a show Celebrity News. Enjoy watching this video:
AFTERNOON TEA WITH GUZHENG
Restaurant Heaven on Earth in Hong Kong’s hippest district, Lan Kwai Fong, proved to be the ideal setting of yet another social gathering of our guzheng club and everyone who loves the guzheng music and guzheng instrument.
It could be said that this small-scale gathering of 33 people was an event of international proportions with many attendees from Hong Kong and others from as far as Taiwan, Singapore and USA.
The party was opened with a welcome note from the club’s director Ms. Ruby Wan, who reminded everyone that GuzhengOne is a non-profit and non-commercial club, whose aim is to organize educational and entertaining social gatherings for those who can attend such meetings personally, and also to provide wealth of information to those members whose access is limited to internet.
The traditional decor of the Chinese-themed restaurant Heaven on Earth helped everyone transcend the boundaries of time and experience the relaxing atmosphere of an afternoon tea at the Chinese imperial court at a time, when guzheng music was reserved only for the emperor.
Such was the atmosphere at this event of GuzhengOne when beautiful guzheng music started flowing. Everyone felt at ease, while sipping hot Chinese tea and nibbling at small refreshments.
Yen Ming Mei opened with Shan Dan Dan Kai Hua Hong Yan Yan, Crystal performed Lake Dongting, Natalie Fishermen’s Joyous Return and Yao Festival Dance. Amy played Qin San Qu, 6-year old Xin Yi played Liu Qing Niang and Lunlun Zou performed Spring returns to snow-capped peaks.
Li Mei Feng performed Liu Yang He, Lunlun Zou’s newest student Mr. Li played Zheng. Singapore’s guzheng master Mr. Ho performed Han Ya Xi Shui and Taiwan’s Mr. Hui Rui played Fang Zhi Mang.
During a Question and Answer session Ruby Wan asked about the proper technique of playing yaozhi and Lunlun Zou answered and gave demonstrations, including difficult excerpts from Zhan Tai Feng.
The event was closed with Lucky Draw and several attendees won prizes, including music CDs and fashionable guzheng picks.
DEBUT RECITAL OF THE INCREDIBLE PANTING
From an unknown small town in China to the world’s most important financial hub, she became the star and the center of attention of Hong Kong’s TV stations and the press, and an instant favorite of millions. This is the story of a 9-year old talented girl by the name of Panting.
Little Panting is a role model to children and adults around the world. Her talent and daily hard work are the reasons why she was able to stand out above others at such young age.
Lunlun Zou discovered Panting in August 2004 during a guzheng convention in Yangzhou, while giving her a free guzheng lesson. Lunlun noticed Panting’s talent and potential.
After the performance, everybody wanted to have a photo taken with Panting.
During the days, months and years that followed, Lunlun kept in touch with Panting by telephone and e-mail, and used video teleconferencing to help with guiding her talent. Later in April 2005 Lunlun traveled to Yangzhou to give Panting additional lessons.
This year the time has come, according to Lunlun Zou, that Panting was given the opportunity to show her advanced skills in front of highly critical Hong Kong audiences in a debut recital.
The event took place on 21 February 2006 at Sheung Wan’s Civic Center. The concert hall was filled to maximum capacity of 150 seats with guzheng music lovers, guzheng teachers, guzheng students and members of the press.
Panting performed many Chinese traditional classics, and impressed the audience with flawless interpretation of the difficult, communist-inspired Zhan Tai Feng. Among the most enjoyed scores of the event were Kang Ding Qing Ge and Hua Er Yu Shao Nian (Flowers and Children), which she played in duet with Lunlun Zou.
At the program’s end many members of the audience, including children, surrounded little Panting on the stage to congratulate her with successful debut, made friends and chatted. Many people wanted to purchase Panting’s video, which unfortunately will not be available until a few weeks from now.
LUNLUN ATTENDS MUSIC CHINA TRADESHOW IN SHANGHAI
If it is about guzheng, if there is anything to see and if there is anyone from the guzheng industry to meet – Lunlun Zou is there. This year’s Music China trade show in Shanghai was no exception.
First in History
Even before the show started, Lunlun met with masters Xu Zhen Gao and Xu Ting Dong. She was helping out while Peter Kahl was taking lessons from Master Xu Zhen Gao and thus became the first non-Chinese guzheng-making apprentice in the history of the world. Peter Kahl hopes to design and build his own guzheng and offer it to the market during Q1 2006. His effort is closely supervised by both masters Xu.
Health Hazard
The music instrument trade show Music China is only a small part of the monstrous ProLight+Sound trade show. This is the largest music-related trade show, attracting manufacturers and buyers from every corner of the world. For 3 days, from 19-21 October, huge crowds flooded the exhibition halls, making it impossible to walk in a straight line. You even had to clear the way for pizza delivery motorcycles which were driving directly through the crowds. If you were lucky, you could hear music instruments from every direction, if you were not, you were subjected to ear drum-breaking demonstrations of mega-decibell speaker systems, made for rock’n’roll concerts. Yes, the show was a health hazard to the body.
New Products
The Music China section of the show was only a relative oasis. Familiar faces, instruments and sounds made Lunlun feel at home. She paid visit to most instrument manufacturers and carefully examined their products. Some guzheng makers were proudly displaying their approach to innovation of the guzheng instrument. Mr. Liu’s Yayun factory was introducing electronic and key-changing guzhengs. The Dunhuang guzheng factory focused on appearance with their spicy-looking guzhengs in the shape of a surfboard, covered with modern car paint. These will undoubtedly make many adolescents very excited. Only time will tell whose approach will survive the commercial viability test of these instruments.
“Let’s harness the eastern wind of the Shenzhou 6!”
Business has been good for most of the guzheng manufacturers. Everyone seemed to be in good mood, especially in the light of the recent flight of Chinese astronauts into space. Lunlun Zou overheard someone saying: “Let’s harness the eastern wind of the Shenzhou 6 to make the guzheng instrument even better!”
Feeling Disturbed
Rather disturbing was to see the lack of respect of the Chinese manufacturers to intellectual property rights (IPR). Whether this practice is legal or illegal, none of them seem to understand the obvious disadvantages of stealing each other’s designs. By shamelessly making their own products indiscernible from others, they hurt themselves, the original manufacturer, the consumer, and the reputation of the Chinese nation and the guzheng instrument industry in whole. It will be no surprise to see copies of the newly introduced products within few months. Lunlun Zou hopes that one day, China will grow up and put a stop to this immoral practice.
FULL MOON FESTIVAL BARBECUE GUZHENG PARTY
A second informal get-together of GuzhengOne members took place 17 September 2005 in Saikung, Hong Kong, in celebration of the Full Moon (mid-autumn) Festival.
Our friends and club members Sendy and Kam have volunteered to let us use their house and garden to have barbecue, chat with friends, play guzheng and enjoy. Kam together with CY were in charge of the barbecue, making sure that no one went hungry. At the same time, others were chatting, making new friends and acquaintances, putting on makeup and relaxing. Highlight of the party was Lunlun’s guzheng performance.
GUZHENG CLUB PARTY ON LAMMA ISLAND
First informal gathering and a party of those who are and aren’t members of GuzhengOne club, students of Lunlun Zou and others who love the guzheng instrument and Chinese music took place 30 August in Yung Shue Wan on Lamma Island, Hong Kong.
Total of 20 guzheng enthusiasts from Hong Kong and USA have met at the Sau Kee restaurant to talk about their passion for guzheng and listen to live guzheng music.
Besides having a chance to listen to masterful play of Lunlun Zou, others too took turns and played for mutual enjoyment. Party participant from USA, Jennifer, who is a fourth-year student of ethno-musicology at UCLA, entertained with Liu Yang He. Even 6-year old student of Lunlun Zou, Lam Lam, had plenty of courage for her first flawless public performance.
Everyone enjoyed tremendously and already look forward to the next party.
STUDENT FLIES FROM GERMANY FOR LESSONS WITH LUNLUN ZOU
Foreign students at Lunlun Zou‘s studio are not an uncommon sight. However, most recent visit of a student from Germany deserves a mention.
Fourteen year old Norman Bravo Sazo is not a typical German kid. Unlike most of his peers who are easily influenced by television and foreign films, Norman has chosen to follow his heart. Norman can tell what is beautiful, what music to listen to and what music to play. Chinese music and Chinese instruments are Norman’s choice.
Norman is enjoying his new custom guzheng, which he purchased from Lunlun Zou.
For the past 2 years, Norman has been learning the art of playing guzheng and erhu with Zhengfang Zhang in Stuttgart, Germany. Eventually, his love for Chinese culture has brought him to visit Lunlun Zou in Hong Kong, buy a very special custom guzheng and take several lessons.
Norman enjoyed interacting with Lunlun Zou’s students.
Continuously for 3 days Norman has been a student at Lunlun’s studio and eagerly learning new techniques and new songs. Being exposed to such stimulating environment, Norman felt inspired to practice harder and for longer periods of time.
Norman demonstrated his skill in front of other Lunlun Zou’s students and everyone was very impressed. This was a proof that his teacher in Germany, Zhengfang Zhang, is doing a great job.
Besides the joy of teaching Norman, Lunlun Zou enjoyed having the opportunity making an acquaintance with his mom, Paula Royce-Bravo Sazo, a professional violinist with the Nationaltheater Mannheim. Their visit was one to remember.
Mannheim, Germany, 12 June 2005
Although it is not my practice to make trusted contacts over the internet, I am glad I did in the case of Lunlun Zou.
Having been in the music profession as a violinist in an excellent opera orchestra for 25 years and a private teacher for even longer, I have been deeply impressed with the high degree of authority demonstrated by Ms Zou in all aspects of the art of guzheng. She and her husband have donated much time and effort not only in providing us with a first class instrument at a very reasonable price, but also in encouraging my son to develop his potential by spending generous amounts of time with him during our three-day visit to Hong Kong from Mannheim, Germany, where I have been promoting classical Chinese music performance on original instruments.
She has also been careful to strike a balance in her teaching by allowing him to play according to his own style, yet giving necessary musical intelligent tips without stifling his individuality. She imparts a positive motivation making students want to work harder and excel to new heights.
She is also a very sociable teacher, encouraging students to play together, which is very important later on in ensemble playing.
We are very grateful to Lunlun for her work reaching out to the world with new developments in raising the art of guzheng to new heights through knowledge of repertoire, what makes a good instrument and strings, technique, various styles and schools of playing, teaching, performing, making contacts with other leading international guzheng authorities and composers, and her openness for new ideas and styles.
Her own playing is executed using a wide dynamic range, pulling a very full sound coupled with a high degree of virtuosity as well as freedom of movement and expression within the rhythmic context of the works she plays.
I look forward to having her and Peter as a future guest performers and teachers here in Mannheim, Germany for our developing Chinese music program.
Sincerely,
Paula Royce-Bravo Sazo
LUNLUN TOURS SOUTHERN CHINA
During last several days Lunlun Zou has traveled through major cities of Southern China and met with guzheng makers and guzheng students.
Meeting with the Master and his Son
First stop on her trip was Shanghai. On 4-7 April she held extensive discussions with renowned guzheng maker Xu Zhen Gao, who is also known as the father of guzheng. Lunlun has hand-selected 3 guzheng instruments, judging by their sound, appearance and quality of construction. Later that evening master Xu Zhen Gao and his son master Xu Ting Dong have signed the 3 instruments with their names, date and personal dedication to each of the customers. These very special instruments were ordered through Lunlun Zou by admirers of Master Xu from Canada, New Jersey and Hong Kong.
Lunlun Zou is the exclusive agent for Master Xu and Son Co., a shop of Xu Zhen Gao and his son Xu Ting Dong. They manufacture top quality guzhengs and guqins and also welcome custom orders. Their focus is on preserving the tradition and art of crafting Chinese instruments. Unlike other huge instrument super-factories, their small shop is concerned about quality, not quantity. Their instruments are made with passion, care, love and attention to detail. Each instrument is personally made by Master Xu and his son. Most recently, Lunlun Zou and Peter Kahl have been cooperating with Master Xu and Son Co. in an effort to design new instruments.
Free Lessons in Shanghai
While in Shanghai, Lunlun Zou visited a music store of Ms. Li Ya Wen and gave free lessons to several Shanghai students. Lunlun’s visit at the store was an eagerly awaited event.
Emotional Meeting
Second stop on Lunlun’s journey was Yangzhou, ancient city famous for beautiful gardens and large concentration of guzheng manufacturers. There she met with Mr. Liu, the director of Yayuin Guzheng Ltd. and Lunlun’s outstanding student, 9-year old Panting from Baoying city.
Baoying lays 100km away from Yangzhou. Panting and her father Mr. Panxiang got on the bus in Baoying at 6:20 AM and arrived in Yangzhou at Lunlun’s hotel 3 hours later. Their trip was far from pleasant for Panting, as she experienced an upset stomach during most of the bumpy bus ride.
At last, it was 9:30 AM and with tears in their eyes they united with Lunlun.
The weather of the spring season was exceptionally favorable. Sun shone high on blue sky, slight wind was moving blossoming branches of trees. Lunlun, Panting and her father carried guzheng and chairs to a beautiful garden, where Panting demonstrated great progress in her skills. Lunlun attentively observed Panting’s play and made suggestions to help her realize her dream to one day become a guzheng virtuoso. Lunlun commented: “Panting has improved dramatically since last time I met her. Her fingers are stronger and better controlled. The resulting sound is brighter and happier.”
Talent and Hard Work
Lunlun is very honored to have such talented student as Panting. Lunlun takes every opportunity to give Panting guidance – whether by phone, e-mail or by video over the Internet. This past encounter between Panting and Lunlun was only the second face-to-face meeting, but already, Panting feels great admiration and respect for Lunlun’s instruction. Besides their artistic connection, Lunlun and Panting are great friends and Panting calls Lunlun a godmother.
Lunlun Zou cannot take full credit for Panting’s virtuosity. The one who bears full responsibility is Panting’s father, Mr. Panxiang. He introduced Panting to playing guzheng at age six. Mr. Panxiang himself is a skilled guzheng musician. It was his dream to teach his daughter an exceptional skill, which would be admired by people in her town, province, and perhaps even by whole China.
Panting’s virtuosity was not a gift from heaven. It was, and it is being earned with daily effort of many hours each. Each and every day, weekday and weekend, Panting devotes all of her spare time after school to playing guzheng, practicing and listening to recordings of other guzheng musicians.
Panting’s dream is to one day study at the Conservatory of Music in Beijing, and eventually continue at the Hong Kongs Academy for Performing Arts. This may remain only a dream, as not every talented child in China has the means to make such dream come true. Lunlun Zou prays that the stars in Panting’s future will align in her favor.
LUNLUN PERFORMS FOR ALAIN MIKLI
Lunlun Zou is a favorite performer at private parties of Hong Kong stars and world-renowned designers.
The name Alain Mikli is well known to all who follow the trends of fashion or know anything about beautiful eyewear. For many years, Mikli has been associated with stylish, attractive, and innovative designs. Paris and Hong Kong sight-impaired professionals cannot imagine life without Alain Mikli.
Alain Mikli cannot imagine a party without Lunlun Zou.
The party, a grand launch of Alain Mikli’s newest design PACT took place on 21 March in the exclusive Bel Air Pavilion in Hong Kong. The star-studded evening included Hong Kong celebrities Zhong Zhen Tao, Guan Zhi Lin, Liu Jia Ling, who made sure that excitement wouldn’t stop.
Lunlun Zou: “I choose Alain Mikli.”
Lunlun Zou and her band kept the Alain Mikli crowd in awe.
Centerpiece of entertainment was Lunlun Zou’s performance. She and her band kept Alain Mikli’s audience at awe – by masterful interpretation of Chinese traditional songs, as well as Lunlun’s own compositions.
Alain Mikli’s party was an event that’s difficult to forget, especially when it is the talk of the town, with coverage in major entertainment magazines and newspapers.
LUNLUN PROMOTES GUZHENG AT THE 2004 LKF CARNIVAL
Lunlun Zou with her Brazilian fan
During the past weekend, Lunlun Zou has been promoting Chinese traditional music and the guzheng instrument at the 2004 Lan Kwai Fong Carnival in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong quarter Lan Kwai Fong is very famous and popular, not only among western tourists, but also among Hong Kong residents, whether they are local Chinese or immigrants from the western hemisphere. Yes, Hong Kong has very large population of immigrants from USA, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Netherlands and other countries. Lan Kwai Fong is located in the city center, has large concentration of bars and entertainment establishments. Lan Kwai Fong stands out for its modern architecture and exciting atmosphere.
Lunlun has been stationed at a booth in Lan Kwai Fong, where she has been meeting with her fans from Brazil, Hong Kong and other countries, selling her CDs, signing autographs and answering questions about guzheng.
During the evenings on Saturday and Sunday Lunlun has given recitals in the Lan Kwai Fong Amphitheatre to bewildered audience.