The sounds of succor

"When Yo-Yo sent me an email about his 'songs of comfort' project, I thought it was a great idea to communicate with music and to bring joy to people during this hard time," says Wu. "I chose the piece because it's from my hometown, and I haven't played it for a very long time."

Born in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Wu became the first recipient of a master's degree in pipa at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

She moved to the US in 1990 and has imbued the 2,000-year-old, four-stringed Chinese lute with a contemporary vim, infusing it into a variety of genres, like jazz, rock and electronic music as well as performing with symphony orchestras, contemporary dance and theater productions.

"I've received lots of messages after I posted the piece online. The messages were sent from all around the world, including questions about my musical instrument, about my music learning experiences along with good wishes. It really connects people during these hard days," Wu says.

"I think a lot about the function of music because of this project and it's really an opportunity for me to associate my music with the word 'comfort'."

She adds that the piece is a combination of slower and faster tempos and reflects her mood at the moment.

"The ongoing viral outbreak has hit all aspects of our lives heavily. My son's university has canceled its graduation ceremony in May, which is very sad. We've been looking forward to that day for years. As musicians, we face challenges when our shows are canceled," says Wu.

She had planned to give two shows at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing over March 14-15 by working with the NCPA Orchestra, which have been postponed to August 2021. "I felt frustrated and disappointed, but then I rescheduled my life and, surprisingly, I found new audiences for my music through online events."

Wu joined in several online shows organized by the NCPA and Chinese media platforms, such as Lifeweek and Youku, which all received warm feedback.