Kulintang Kultura: Danongan Kalanduyan and Gong Music of the Philippine Diaspora

Co-produced by Theodore S. Gonzalves and Mary Talusan Lacanlale, Kulintang Kultura, from Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, pays homage to the late Danongan “Danny” Kalanduyan, a talented musician and generous teacher who championed traditional Filipino kulintang gong music in the United States, helping to keep the memory and practice alive.

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Nong: Playing Korean Wind Instruments

Musician and distinguished solist gamin will discuss and demonstrate traditional Korean music and wind instruments: the piri—a double reed instrument similar to the oboe; the taepyeonso (a double-reed horn); and saenghwang (a type of mouth organ).

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Chinese Porcelain, Tea Ceremony & Guqin Music: Artistry for the Five Senses

With the ebb and flow of China’s long history comes the waxing and waning of the longstanding tradition in the production of porcelain. As we travel through the centuries from guan-ware of the Song to fen-cai enamelware of the late-Qing, Chinese porcelain is an embodiment of continual refinement through transmission, creative innovation, and practice. On … Read more

Deconstruction and Rebuilding of Cultural Heritage Through Music

Throughout history, we have deconstructed and rebuilt our cultural heritage. As a composer or a performer, one often confronts decisions with how to interpret historical and musical vocabularies, and how it leads to our own original voices as artists. Three Korean composers will share their original music and voices. Presenting elements of music with comparisons … Read more

Qin Music and Calligraphy

The qin, the Ancient Chinese seven stringed zither is one of the four refined arts traditionally pursued for self-cultivation. (The other three are painting, calligraphy, and chess.) Dr. Mingmei Yip will discuss the interrelation of two of these arts: qin and calligraphy. Chinese aesthetic theories of the two arts will be discussed, especially the abstract beauty of notes … Read more