Prelude to the Divine Realm – Gao Hong & Zhao Xiaoxia
Prelude to the Divine Realm, a collaboration between renowned pipa master Gao Hong and guqin virtuoso Zhao Xiaoxia, is released on January 24th, 2025.
Since the dawn of civilisation, China has warmly embraced spiritual ideas. A country with a venerable and mythical history awash with the magical and teeming with transcendental tales of deities and mortals living together in an ancient harmony. Some believe the arts that greatly enrich society today – calligraphy, poetry, dance and music, to name a few – are gifts from the very gods of these age-old stories. These enigmatic offerings evoke eternal gratitude in our artists and serve as the inspiration for Prelude to the Divine Realm – an album created as an expression of thanks for the beauty left behind by these divine beings.
The message is beautifully conveyed through two musicians at the peak of their powers. Unique interpretations of some of China’s best-known songs and ancient compositions shine with technical brilliance, inspired innovation, and extraordinary improvisation. The pipa and guqin combine in an intricate, ethereal dance, blending and weaving tunes across surreal soundscapes that transcend time and space. The album’s songs tell intimate tales of nature and the human experience. Moving melodies of the existential combine with unearthly and mystical movements to produce music that is sometimes proud and powerful and at others gentle and nurturing, yet always evocative and thought-provoking. Music that catches the heart and elicits emotion.
It was a snowy day in Beijing, a city noted for blending the classical and contemporary, when Gao Hong and Zhao Xiaoxia came together at the Miao Temple Studio. Surrounded by historic beauty, Hong and Xiaoxia allowed the pipa and guqin to converse, creating a unique musical atmosphere. These delicate discussions made musical discoveries through instrumental improvisation and formed new versions of classical compositions imbued with new life and passionate thanks.
That Prelude to the Divine Realm was performed and recorded in one afternoon – a hallmark of many of Hong’s collaborations – is a testament to both performers’ masterful artistry of their respective instruments, their commitment to collaborative music, and their shared love and respect for the arts bestowed upon the world.
Gao Hong is a renowned Chinese pipa master, composer and performer. She studied under pipa master Lin Shicheng at Beijing's prestigious Central Conservatory of Music, earning the Beijing Art Cup. After moving to the U.S., she gained recognition at major festivals and concerts, amassing numerous accolades and awards. Author of the first English-language pipa method book, Hong’s career reflects the diversity of her music, spanning genres like Afro-American jazz, bluegrass, klezmer, and pop. A true luminary, she has performed across the globe and is known for her many collaborations.
Zhao Xiaoxia is a distinguished guqin master and educator at the Central Conservatory of Music and serves as a visiting scholar at China’s Royal Danish Academy of Music and as a visiting professor at Singapore Raffles Music College. Since 1995, she has studied under renowned guqin instructor Professor Li Xiangting. Zhao has performed as a soloist with top orchestras, including the New Zealand, Sydney, and Netherlands Symphonies, as well as the Tokyo Philharmonic. She has graced major international stages, such as the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, and participated in prestigious festivals like the Tokyo, Schleswig-Holstein, and Beijing Music Festivals. Since 2011, she has toured globally with composer Tan Dun's Martial Arts Trilogy and performed at the opening ceremony of Expo 2019, Beijing’s world horticultural exposition, showcasing Chinese culture to world leaders.
In addition to her performance career, Zhao holds leadership roles as vice secretary of the China Folk Orchestral Music Society Guqin Committee and adviser to the Macau Guqin Research Society. She has earned numerous first-place awards in prestigious competitions, including the CCTV Folk Instrument Competition and the Macau Golden Lotus Cup, and she has performed solo across Europe, the Americas, and Asia.
Zhao is also a prominent figure in Chinese media, appearing on shows like CCTV’s Fenghua China Music, The Sound of Music, Children’s Guqin and many more. Media outlets have praised her as a bridge between traditional and modern music, calling her the "new queen of the guqin."
For further information please contact Amelia Zimmatore | amelia@arcmusic.co.uk | +44(0)1342 770478
ARC Music Productions Int Ltd, PO Box 111, East Grinstead, RH19 4FZ, UK | www.arcmusic.co.uk