Jiang Jianhua

Born in Shanghai and now living in Japan, Ms Jiang (姜建华, born 1961) was trained by her uncle during the Cultural Revolution, before attending Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music. The erhu, sometimes called the Chinese violin, is known for its plaintive, quintessentially Oriental tone. It dates from the Tang dynasty (617–908) and was originally meant to accompany Chinese opera singers. A steady refinement of playing techniques over the past century has popularised its use in solo performances. Ms Jiang has been promoting traditional Chinese music across Asia and the world since her tour in 1989 with the Berlin Symphony Orchestra. In 1990, she played with the Shanghai Orchestra in New York to mark Carnegie Hall’s 100th birthday. In 2004, she accompanied Milan’s Chamber Quartet on a tour of Japan. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.