Outloud: Haiqiong Deng at Maclay Gardens

"This is one of my favorite episodes of our local music series, outloud. It features a very skilled zheng player who came from China to teach at the FSU College of Music. Her husband , Nan Liu, is a painter. Like Haiqiong, he learned the traditional style in China. His artwork, and footage of his making Chinese calligraphy, add a great visual element to the program that already had the benefit of being shot in a garden at the beginning of spring when all the flowers were in bloom. Haiqiong's interview is very insightful to the cultural traditions to a nation that both captivates and concerns us. I think that all of these elements came together fairly well; we had a lot to work with and it was a great project to work on."

Ancient instrument played at recital
The exotic sounds of Chinese music heard in the zheng - by Tammy Taylor, March 27, 2003

There's not much talk about zhengs these days, but that will soon change when the FSU School of Music presents "A Journey of Chinese Zheng Music" Thursday, March 27 at 8 p.m. Haiquiong Deng, a master of gu-zheng music, will perform a free public recital in the Opperman Concert Hall at the FSU School of Music.

Deng, an Outstanding Performance Winner in Chinese National Zheng Competition, is a master's student in the FSU School of Music, where she is the director of the FSU Chinese Ensemble. Deng also appeared as a soloist in the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra's "Holiday Magic Concert" in December 2002, and on the orchestra's "Young People's Concert" in March.

The concert, which showcases the ethnomusicology program's world music ensembles, traditionally features visiting artists performing with FSU musicians. This year's honored guest is Chinese pipa player Gao Hong, who will perform with zheng (a kind of Chinese zither) virtuoso Haiqiong Deng, director of the Chinese Ensemble.

"It's the first time we've featured anything other than (a performer of) loud, percussive music as the special guest," said ethnomusicology program founder and professor Dale Olsen.

"I like to say that we practice musicology with a capital 'M,' meaning we cover all music."

Haiqiong Deng (hi-chong deng) will perform on a Chinese stringed instrument called the Gu-Zheng (goo-zhung). This instrument has been played in China for over 4,000 years. Ms. Deng is a master of the Gu-Zheng, which is to say that she is one of the most accomplished players of this instrument in the world. Few people ever achieve her level of artistry. She has performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and has given recitals all over the globe.

Ms. Deng was born in the city of Lanzhou in Gansu Province in south China. Her father was her first music teacher, and then when she was 12 she left home to attend a high school that was part of the Xi’an Conservatory of Music. In 1997 she received her BA degree from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and from there she went to Beijing Conservatory to study with Professor Qu Da-cheng, a Gu-Zheng master.
Ms. Deng came to Florida State University in 2001 to study Arts Administration. Although her studies keep her very busy, she still finds time to practice her instrument and continues to give concerts.