Welcome to Saturday University, a monthly lecture series featuring experts from around the world. Gain new insights on Asia throughout time as our visiting scholars, authors, artists, and thought leaders delve into new themes each season.
Resonance of Silk and Bamboo: A Musical Legacy of Millennia
Eddie Chia-Hao Hsu
âSilk and bamboo" (sizhu) is a name derived from the instrument types in the ancient Chinese Zhou period's "eight tones" (bayin) system, a classification of musical instruments based on the materials used. Over the centuries, "silk and bamboo" has come to also describe the associated musical styles and ensembles. Using "silk and bamboo" as a starting point, this talk will trace the nameâs historical development, highlighting how new instruments and ideas from regional traditions were introduced into mainstream Chinese music. Drawing from various examples of Chinese instruments and iconography, Hsu will explore the dynamic development and the continuity of practices in Chinese musical traditions, complemented by a musical performance.
Eddie Chia-Hao Hsu is the Curator for Asia and Oceania at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona. He has held this position at MIM since 2020 and has contributed to numerous projects, including the special exhibition Treasures: Legendary Musical Instruments (2021), which he co-curated. His research interests include music in China and Taiwan, heritage studies, and historical organology. He received his PhD in ethnomusicology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019, and has performed as a player of Chinese dizi and xiao flutes.
Tickets
$15
$10 SAM members & students with ID
Tickets include gallery access
Image: © 2022 Gary Todd. Copyright: ©2022 Gary Todd, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Caption: A Chinese Tang dynasty figurine depicting camel-riding musicians. The National Museum of China.