April 11, 2011
For Immediate Release

University Marketing & Communications: Mike Rigert (801) 863-6807
Written by: Brie Joseph (801) 863-8342

Utah Valley University’s School of the Arts, along with the International Center, invite you to attend the world premier of “Mountain Ghost” composed by Zhou Long for the UVU Chamber Choir, and world-renowned Chinese pipa artist, Jie Ma. The event will take place April 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Sorensen Student Center’s Ragan Theater.

The pipa is a four-stringed Chinese musical instrument, sometimes called the Chinese lute. First appearing in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) the pipa was developed during the Han Dynasty and is now one of the most popular Chinese instruments. During the Ming (A.D. 1368-1644) and Qing (A.D. 1645-1911) dynasties, various pipa schools with different styles flourished. The present day pipa techniques are mostly the fusion of those different schools.

Many of the compositions that make up the traditional repertoire, which were handed down from generation to generation through individual artists and scholars, date back hundreds of years, while others are part of a body of compositions that are dynamic and growing. In more recent times, composers have explored the possibilities for the pipa and other Chinese and Western instruments, even with orchestra.

Zhou Long is one such composer. He was born into an artistic family and began piano lessons at an early age. In 1973, after being forced to abandon his music studies during the Cultural Revolution, he resumed his musical training and studied composition, music theory, and conducting, as well as Chinese traditional music. In 1977, he enrolled in the first composition class at the reopened Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Zhou Long attended Columbia University, where he received a doctorate of musical in 1993. Zhou is currently a visiting professor of composition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and has composed “Mountain Ghost” specifically for Jie Ma to perform at UVU.

Jie Ma comes from a long line of traditional Chinese musicians, and began studying music and playing the pipa at age 5. She became a professional musician at age 14. Jie received a bachelor’s of music degree from the Tianjin Conservatory of Music in 2001. She was an adjunct professor in the music department at Liao Ning Normal University, and she has taught pipa to a wide range of students in China and the United States. After coming to the U.S., much like Zhou Long, Jie began exploring the possibilities of blending traditional pipa technique with Western and other sounds.

Tickets are $5 with student ID, $10 without, and can be purchased at Campus Connection in the Sorensen Student Center.

This event is presented by the School of the Arts and is part of the UVU International Center’s Global Spotlight: China program. For more information about Global Spotlight: China, and future events, please visit www.uvu.edu/international/engage/global_spotlight.html.

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About UVU

Utah Valley University is located in Orem, Utah, and is home to nearly 33,000 students. UVU began as a vocational school during World War II, and in the seven decades since has evolved into a technical school, community college, state college and, finally, a comprehensive regional teaching university. UVU is one of Utah’s largest institutions of higher learning and offers programs ranging from career training to high-demand master degrees, with emphasis on undergraduate education.