The pipa is one of the most popular Chinese instruments and has been played for almost two thousand years in China. Several related instruments are derived from the pipa, including the Japanese biwa and Korean bipa in East Asia, and the Vietnamese đàn tỳ bà in Southeast Asia.

Wu Man plays the pipa. Wu Man -- one of the most celebrated Pipa players of the century. Wu Man in concert. The origins of the pipa date back to the Qin and Han Dynasties of China (around 200 BC) – giving the instrument a history of over 2,000 years.

Wu Man (Chinese: 吴 蛮; pinyin: Wú Mán; born January 2, 1963) [1] is a Chinese pipa player and composer. Trained in Pudong-style pipa performance at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, she is known for playing in a broad range of musical styles and introducing the pipa and its Chinese heritage into Western genres.

Learn all about the pipa, an ancient Chinese instrument, from Wu Man - one of the world's most acclaimed pipa players. Sound: Eric Arnus Video: Stephen Raskauskas

pipa, short-necked Chinese lute prominent in Chinese opera orchestras and as a solo instrument. It has a shallow, pear-shaped body with a wooden belly and, sometimes, two crescent-shaped sound holes. The modern pipa has 29 or 31 frets, 6 on the neck and the rest on the body of …

Not only is she recognized as the foremost pipa player in the United States, but she is also celebrated as an accomplished composer, educator, and one of the most prominent instrumentalists of traditional Chinese music.

The Official Website of Wu Man. Recognized as the world’s premier pipa virtuoso and leading ambassador of Chinese music, Grammy Award-nominated musician Wu Man has carved out a career as a soloist, educator and composer giving her lute-like instrument – which has a history of over 2,000 years in China – a new role in both traditional and ...

Gao Hong, a master of the pear-shaped lute, the pipa, began her career as a professional musician at age 12. She graduated from China's premier music school, the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she studied with the great pipa master Lin Shicheng.

Now considered the preeminent pipa player in the U.S., she is often the first instrumentalist who comes to mind when traditional Chinese music is mentioned in conversation. Americans who know what a pipa is, will have heard of the instrument largely thanks to Wu Man.

Liu Fang is an internationally acclaimed virtuoso for pipa and guzheng. Born in 1974 in Kunming in the province of Yunnan, China, she began playing the pipa at the age of 6, and by 11, she performed before Queen Elizabeth II.