草原奔馬｜Galloping Horses

Comp. by Weishan Liu - contemporary guzheng inspired by Mongolian melody
 

This guzheng piece was composed by Weishan Liu, inspired by her journey across the vast Mongolian grasslands. Drawing from local dance melodies, she created a joyful and lyrical work that captures the boundless beauty of the grasslands—and the deep emotions that stirred within her as horses galloped across the boundless plains.

 

歸舟吟 | Song of the Faring Boat

comp. for guzheng and cello, by Winnie Wong, 2025

performed by Winnie Wong and guest cellist Angela Lee

 

This arrangement of Song of the Faring Boat by Winnie Wong depicts a fisherman’s journey home across the moonlit sea. Beneath the tranquil glow of dusk, the water reflects both calm and uncertainty. The fisherman hums to the sea, and the sea sings back—its waves rising and falling in harmony with his song. As winds grow restless and a storm begins to stir, the fisherman places his faith in his faring boat, trusting its strength and the rhythm of the tides to carry him home. When the storm subsides, calm returns, and the boat drifts peacefully toward shore, cradled once again by still waters.

 

This piece draws inspiration from Fisherman’s Song, composed in 1925 by guzheng master Wei Ziyou. Developed from the ancient tune Gui Qu Lai Xi (“Return to Tranquility”), it marked a turning point in the history of guzheng music. Its elegant pentatonic melody reflects a graceful simplicity and enduring folk charm—expressing the harmony between human spirit and nature’s ever-changing sea.

 

出水蓮｜The Emerging Lotus

Hakka traditional guzheng melody

Hakka guzheng is known to have complicated left-hand bending technique.  While the melody is simple, there are variations of left-hand vibrating methods that make the sound sustain.  This piece portrays the lotus blossom’s strength and beauty emerging from the murky water and the blooming in the pond. In ancient China, scholars often used the lotus as a symbol of purity, peace, beauty and serenity. The Lotus blossom is prided for retaining their beauty and purity even though they blossom in muddy ponds.

 

邊關的迴響 | Echoes Beyond the Border

Contemporary composition written for duo-guzheng 2024, by Winnie Wong 

Solo guzheng, Winnie Wong

 

This solo performance and imaginative arrangement by Winnie Wong performed on two guzhengs was inspired by an ancient guqin (ancient 7 stringed zither) melody and poem from China’s Tang Dynasty, “Three Folds of Yang Guan”.  Using one guzheng in pentatonic and a second in a chromatic tuning, Wong transcends this ancient melody into a modern era echoing a story of “departure”. 

 

In the earliest records, dating back to Tang Dynasty, this melody was derived from the poem of its time "Sending Off the Envoy to Anxi". The poem takes the backdrop of Wei City's scenery, conveying the sentiment of the poet, bidding farewell to envoy Yuan Er as he heads to Anxi, passing the border post, Yang Guan.

 

Drawing inspiration from her own life’s journey, Wong delves into themes of “farewell” and “departure” in this arrangement, portraying them as deeply emotional voyages. The music captures the heart’s poignant struggle to break free from the grasp of memory, reflecting moments of hardship, adversity, and resilience. Yet, woven into its melodies is an undercurrent of hope and renewal—a reminder that the lessons of the past can resonate through time, offering strength and clarity as we embrace the promise of transformation. The “borders” explored in this piece are universal: the young adult stepping beyond the threshold of adolescence, the internal battle to overcome fears or insecurities, the aching journey of moving forward after the loss of a loved one. Through its evocative narrative, the piece invites each listener to confront their own boundaries and find renewal on the path toward an optimistic future.

 

As the final echoes reverberated, a sense of completion draws near, a cathartic release of emotions and melodies entwined. In its imagery and metamorphosis, the guzheng's voice not only transformed an ancient melody but also provided a new chapter, a poignant farewell that embraced both the echoes of antiquity and the boundless horizons of artistic expression.

 

秦桑曲 | Tune of the Qin Mulberry

Shaanxi folk opera inspired, comp. By Zhou Yanjia; guzheng accomp. by Xi Piekun, 1990s 

Soloist Winnie Wong, accomp. by Jade Ensemble members Jaime Hou and Cameron Yeong Jang

 

“Tune of the Qin Mulberry Trees, composed by Zhou Yanjia in the late 1960s, draws inspiration from Li Bai’s Tang dynasty poem Spring Longing (《春思》)—a verse capturing the tender ache of lovers separated by great distance.

 

燕草如碧丝，秦桑低绿枝。

当君怀归日，是妾断肠时。

春风不相识，何事入罗帏。

 

The poem tells of, how the northern grasses grow green as silk, while the mulberry trees of Qin hang heavy with spring—evoking the distance between the soldier far away and the woman waiting at home. When he feels homesick, her heart, too, aches with longing. Even the gentle spring breeze, unknowing yet intimate, becomes a silent messenger that stirs her solitude.

 

Through the voice of the zheng, ancient emotions are given new life. Trembling strings echo the sighs of the spring wind, while flowing melodies trace the delicate lines of Li Bai’s verse—interweaving sorrow, tenderness, and remembrance into sound.”

 

將軍詠嘆調  | General's Aria 

Contemporary guzheng, inspired by orig. composition by Wang Xunzhi, arrang. by Winnie Wong (2023)

Solo by Winnie Wong, CSME’s Jade Ensemble 

 

An unfolding tale of war through the eyes of a general, performed by Winnie Wong and CSME’s Silk Ensemble on the guzheng.

 

General' Aria takes the listener on a Soul-stirring cinematic journey through the emotional landscape of war, inspired by the melodies of the original composition General's Command. The piece transforms fragments of this earlier work, reimagining them into a sweeping narrative that follows a General from the first distant echoes of the war drums to the final surge of victory.

 

Through the expressive tones of the guzheng, General's Aria explores themes of duty, loss, and hope. The original melody serves as a foundation, evolving to depict the havoc of battle, the sorrow of destruction, and the fierce determination to protect and prevail. Each movement builds upon this transformation—turning past themes into a vivid portrayal of a soldier’s internal and external struggle, where every note speaks of the agony, passion, and ultimate triumph of war.