NAGA 2004 in Review

Dear qin friends,

Here is the North American Guqin Association (NAGA) 2004 News in Review. We hope in the future to organize further guqin related events and performances, and bring you news of guqin events and publications in China and around the world.

1. February, San Francisco, California: NAGA special guqin event: The Chinese Guqin and Its Culture by guqin master Professor Li Xiangting.

2. May, China : The second of Li Xiangting's guqin and xiao improvisation albums was released by Poloarts. It was inspired by Poems of the Song Dynasty.

3. May – August: NAGA director Wang Fei introduced the guqin to the American Music course at UC Berkeley. We are very pleased to see it included in a mainstream music course.

4. July: The book Guqin Foundation Course volume 1 by Professor Li Xiangting, was published by the Shanghai Music Publish House.

5. August 1, Union City Library, San Francisco , California : NAGA Guqin Yaji . Click here for photo album.

6. August 21-27 Beijing, China: Three of Wang Fei's students, NAGA members David Wong, Weiran Zhao and Julia Sun received Honor awards and Outstanding Performance awards at the First National Guqin Competition. Photographs are at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/04qinconference/index.htm

7. August 27 Beijing , China : First National Guqin Competition and the National Guqin Conference. Please visit http://www.folkmusic.org.cn for more information.

8. August to September, Beijing , China : Visited NAGA consultants. Photographs are at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/visitnagaconsultants/index.htm

9. September 5, Beijing , China : NAGA supervised qins and qin makers Zhang Yuxin and Tian Bugao received the Golden award at the first Nation Guqin Making competition. This was the first and most prestigious guqin production competition to be established.

10. September 8, Beijing , China : Special guqin yaji : Played a Tang Dynasty qin more than a thousand years old and drank Pu'er tea more than a hundred years old. He Zuoru, the owner of the famous Tang Dynasty qin from the Imperial Palace sold last year invited NAGA members Professor Li Xiangting, Wang Fei to play his 1200 year old “best living antique qin ” Why does Professor Li consider it the best living antique qin ? See the report and photograph album at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/0908tangqinyaji/index.htm

11. September 26, Shanghai , China : Wang Fei's trip and a Tang Dynasty guqin yaji in Shanghai , China ; Wang Fei with master Lin Youren at the Tang Dynasty guqin yaji in Shanghai . Photographs are at

http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/shanghaiyaji0409/index.htm

12. September 27, Suzhou , China : Wang Fei was invited to use Mr. He's Tang Dynasty qin for a guqin performance at a yaji attended by famous painters and artists in a very elegant private garden in Suzhou . Photographs are at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/suzhou0409yaji/index.htm

13. October 6, Beijing , China : Wang Fei gave a lecture and performance for an elegant club formed by new life style Beijingers at a country club.

14. October 16, Beijing , China : NAGA director Wang Fei was on a Beijing TV show.

15. November 18, San Francisco , CA : NAGA special guqin performance and presentation at San Francisco World Class City sponsored by San Francisco Leadership. Photographs of this event are at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/newsletters/041118nagaevent/index.htm

16. Saturday, December 18: Second NAGA online guqin gathering (yaji).

The items we have selected relate to events held by NAGA or in which NAGA members have participated. We plan to publish the NAGA News in Review every year. If you are a member (that is, you have registered by filling in the form at http://www.chineseculture.net/guqin/joinus.html ) and you have any interesting news, please email us and tell us about it. If you are not a member (you are on this mailing list but have not filled in the form) please feel free to join. There is no charge.

Julian Joseph

North American Guqin Association

http://www.guqin.org