Min Xiao-Fen

• Genre: Asia

About

A virtuoso on the ancient Chinese pipa, Xiao-Fen is not only a renowned interpreter of her instrument's equally ancient repertoire, but also an experimenter who has recently made a splash in the international music world. She's collaborated with artists as diverse as guitar improviser Derek Bailey, jazz pianist Randy Weston, and genre-crosser John Zorn. Other recordings have found her taking on thornier works by modern composers like Leo Smith and Carl Stone. However, it may well be that her more traditional efforts on the pipa -- as heard on the album Spring, River, Flower, Moon, Night -- serve as the most compelling examples of both her percussive, rapid-fire string attacks and the alternate moments of serenity characteristic of the music.

- Will York