Wu Man: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

Watch the world's reigning pipa virtuoso play ancient music from her Chinese homeland in the NPR Music offices. When her fingers start to fly, Wu Man can create scenes of cinematic grandeur or serene, moonlit moments.
Set List:
"Ambushed From All Sides"
"Night Thoughts"
"White Snow In Spring"
For more videos, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

[@seanhildebran8546]

look how in love she is with her instrument. She periodically stares not at her fingers but at it, she also leans her head in close as if to embrace it. Her passion towards this is absolutely lovely.

[@gabrielmcwethy3441]

She is such a legend. Wu Man introduced me to Chinese music. She's just amazing!

[@stephen3073]

First time I heard Wu Man's extraordinary Pipa playing was on a Water Lilly Acoustics recording, where she played duets with Martin Simpson on guitar. They had only met for the first time the same day they were recorded by Kavi Alexander. The results were mesmerizing and almost hallucinatory. Two musicians of this caliber. from entirely different musical cultures and traditions- and they were able to seamlessly meld together in a ravishing display of virtuosity, the likes of which I don't think I've seen before or since.

[@lvbandmore]

Everything about Wu Man is so great here - her playing, choice of repertoire and especially her facial and body movements which clearly convey the joy of playing and making music.

[@user-ob8ri7lv8j]

Tiny Desk Concert one of the best places to discover new music. Thank you all!

[@1Milly1]

I just love hearing her play Pipa, could probably hear it all day and still enjoy it as much!! Thank you Wu Man!!!

[@iamsheep]

Fun fact: "Ambush from All Sides", or literally "Ambush from Ten Sides" in Chinese 十面埋伏 is also the name of the Chinese name for the Zhang Yimou film "House of Flying Daggers", where this piece of music is also featured.

[@Mouldytone]

I`ve counted the number of strings many times. Only four? How come it sounds like many more? The term virtuoso comes to mind. Great performance. Thanks Wu Man, thanks NPR.

[@constrictor971]

she has so much respect for the instrument, you can see it in every note she plays

[@itwashimmusic]

Every note, every breath, every moment hard or implied is the telling of a story. Thank you Wu Man.

[@j.wilcox3547]

I was lucky enough to see her perform with the kronos quartet in Connecticut in 2013. Amazing.

[@KevinPMiller]

i am honored to have wu man's music opening the beginning of my film GENERATION RX. She is a master.

[@xtelevisionset]

A true artist. She is one with her instrument. Compassion in it's most elegant form.

[@zaitesushion]

shreds so hard there's cole slaw everywhere

[@MegalopsykhiaLIN]

Hhh

[@KapkztAnimates]

林祝凱 Hhh

[@Kobor_Tamas]

😂

[@HiroshiKoto]

Beautiful and wild Chinese Pipa playing!! She's really impressive!!! Wow!!!

[@blacknwhitesalright]

I keep coming back to this concert. One can hear so much in it - country blues, the Coltranes, math metal & Carnatic music, so much wailing & reverence & movement.

[@user-tm7ee4nj8n]

The best part of Chinese music is the silence between licks，like the empty part of painting，these are the parts that art take your mind in deep thoughts. We call it 留白

[@clarkalark]

so much talent across 4 little strings. amazing.

[@ArmandKarlsen]

She is just badass!

[@johnfenner347]

Absolutely remarkable !. An honour and privilege to hear this amazing virtuoso !. Fascinating and fantastic. Sending love and good wishes, from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 x.

[@sterlingmillhollon2520]

I love how you can bend strings by applying pressure downwards! Makes for very expressive music!

[@jgrossma]

You can do this with a scalloped neck guitar if you like.

[@gregoryhussey6477]

Agree - very cool!

[@realeuphoniism]

Yes, Chinese music and a lot of Asian music in general like to bend notes to add expression. I've developed somewhat of a sense to differentiate what country the music is coming from (At least differentiate China, Japan, and Korea). China has a lot of intense and expressive music that usually have a strong meaning in it, whether happy, sad, angry, etc. Japan has more of a calming sense of music. Very rarely does the music have fast paced, very happy music. Korean music almost always has a sort of "bounce" to it. I don't know why, but it's very easy to tell if it's a traditional Korean song if you hear a general bouncing sound or rhythm to the song.

[@racheltaylorroth9084]

probably my favorite tiny desk ever

[@jonmoulton]

Excellent work on the pipa. I've been enjoying listening to that video for the past few mornings, sitting at my desk at work. Wu Man was a fine choice for a tiny desk performer.

[@edivaldocurvelo5064]

CONGRATULATION!!!!! it was INCREDIBLE...we are witnessing here in BRAZIL!!! very good sound!!!

[@iDawd]

Wu man, that was crazy!

[@venus8738]

This kind of music is the reason why i never doubt the Chinese always respected and fought many real historic wars in the past, historic in the true sense of the word! Every beat from her fingers shoots like clouds of arrows, spears and blade sharp knives from the horseback!

[@robbiewhittle4898]

Stephen Zakaria The music and the idea that China fought many real wars have zero correlation. There isn’t a reason at all to doubt China is and has been extremely powerful and respected and involved in wars. They’ve been a power for thousands of years. Music shouldn’t be what you base your info on politics/ war from IN MY OPINION

[@Discrimination_is_not_a_right]

I lack the background to judge this artistically, but it looks like a very impressive technical achievement. And I like what I'm hearing.

[@kurouki]

the bendings, the vibratos, the phrasing that she does... fantastic to say the least.. =)

[@shaunhayward]

This level of prowess on an instrument is other-worldly. WOW! Beyond amazing.

[@gp2922]

Wow never seen/heard this instrument before. Brilliant introduction. Thank you wu man.

[@deborahlpollitt9463]

Although the music sounds familiar to me from film scores, I've never seen the instrument or the musicianship that creates it. Ms. Wu is a virtuoso. Thank you

[@laurynsantos6780]

When ping mom played for us in elementary school, I fell in love, reminded me of grandma on her harp

[@Tugend8]

WOW - I'm impressed ...!!! - Such a wonderful music and playin': Thanks a lot, dear Mrs. Wu Man. Best wishes from my heart ...

[@camilaoroza]

I loved it! The video's description is accurate, and it's amazing seeing her play so delicately and passionately.

[@VIsTheMusic]

i love these sorts of 'down to earth' performances the BEST ! thank you ! luv u Wu Man !

[@halfjapanesenirvana]

Wild sounds! Wu Man, you are a force of nature.

[@ksalanpang]

love these virtuosos coming through.

[@blutos]

Man, this is intense. I want a pipa!

[@mehditaba4657]

Great musician, unique music.

[@ManBag101]

i love npr because they show me music I would never listen to, and it just gives me such a good experience. Thanks so much

[@guilhermesobrinho1329]

Night Thoughts is probably the most beautiful pipa music ever...

[@michaelbrand8279]

Beautiful traditional Chinese music!

[@albatrosseable]

looks and sounds like 40 years of training.

[@user-xv4he4mt4x]

She must’ve practiced 40 hours a day when she was young.

[@KapkztAnimates]

Ling Ling I only play for 10 min-1 hour and feel like I’ll never reach this level

[@KapkztAnimates]

@@user-xv4he4mt4x wait ur ling ling?! U PRACTICE 40 HOURS?!?!

[@plasticsam]

tabs?

[@kwithnics2134]

Sam Braverman lol

[@bryanmannoia7561]

+CFH Sambo yeah, right. lol.

[@jgrossma]

Heh. Pipa music actually usually is notated in special Pipa tab. Not surprising, considering the instrument is 2000 years old and pre-dates conventional Western staff notation by over 1500 years! "Ambush from all sides" is one of the most famous pieces for the instrument. Its been transcribed, but I think finding a copy might be tricky. If you *do* manage to find one, and can decipher it, good luck playing it. This is a considered a virtuoso level piece and it will probably take you a few years of practice before you can do so.

[@thomasthecpunerd]

put some emgs on that and put it through a dual rec. that'd be metal as fuck.

[@ttaylor1302]

I have never read so many disgusting comments on NPR Music. They bring us these segments for education and enjoyment. MAKE a choice to broaden your minds: 1) ask the Lord to forgive you for judging, 2) go read a book, 3) learn to like/love yourself FIRST and then extend that love to others.

[@dr.kruger]

Wow! Beautiful instrument! And she plays it amazingly!

[@MrThinwiteduke]

Simply, I love it!!!

[@merdufer]

@azrasound "Ambushed from ten sides" is quite a popular traditional repertoire for virtuosos. There's an interesting story behind it, too, if you're into ancient militaristic stuff.

[@electricjoelle]

What's the story?

[@yuetani]

Joelle Hamilton search up maybe battle of gaixia

[@alisonhenley1365]

LOVE THIS SET

[@TheRolfooo]

We were wrong all along. Looks like the Chinese invented rock.

[@Aerational]

It all started somewhere.

[@Aerational]

Shit look at some African Tribes drumming and tell me we invented Metal...

[@user-jm1ej6fc2e]

Chinese invented everything

[@dissilymordentroge5818]

@@user-jm1ej6fc2e Cultural delusions no no limits.

[@jzonkel]

@@Aerational Every culture uses drums lol

[@TheFunkyCriminal]

so fukin metal

[@wildh0rse1]

Would have sounded great on my old Les Paul lolol

[@FlyingVneckSweater]

Acoustic shredding since the 9th century! This is cool : )

[@honeyboohoo]

It actually.... Dates back pretty much farther....

[@obiwan88]

The earliest mention of pipa in Chinese texts appeared late in the Han dynasty around the 2nd century AD, so you're just wrong by 7 centuries.

[@peterhpoulsen]

This is awesome! Thanks a lot for sharing!

[@AndreasArianto]

She plays so gracefully!

[@ZuotangZhang]

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed it.

[@johnreneaudmusictheelectri2546]

Rockin' it. Sounds great.

[@ameliabloometnoahprice9670]

Hot damn this is beautiful!

[@duhhh86]

haha, well the first piece she played is a very ancient chinese tune that existed way before van halen!!

[@honeyboohoo]

But this form of 十面埋伏 is the modern one though....

[@xtendedline]

amazing, pure treasury, thank you Wu Man, keep it up!!

[@TrebleFM]

night thoughts is amazing

[@WanderingTaurusFarms]

I very much enjoyed this! You don't see or hear this too much nowadays. Quite refreshing. :DDD

[@jopo8281]

Wow you had this lady on so long ago. Amazing ❤

[@jjaywill]

AMAZING!!!

[@monzyc1681]

She went to our school today!!!! She was sssooo cool

[@KapkztAnimates]

Monzy C cool! I would have wanted to show her my pipa

[@celestialbodi66]

Amazing! Pure and simple.

[@miaomiaochan]

What makes Wu Man's virtuosity so much more impressive is that the pipa is actually a notoriously difficult instrument to learn, much less master. One can't just become a self-taught master pipa player, unlike with guitar.

[@user-vq2xi3gi4i]

Amazing!❤

[@JimHarrisArt]

Fantastic.

[@joepworther2284]

This is great chinese music!!!

[@washingtonwcto8059]

so great! amazing...

[@rebelrevolution22]

Pure artistic beauty

[@rexbard6034]

This is amazing

[@AL3XK1NG17]

She played at my school today and blew me away

[@chenchen1788]

I am deeply touched

[@orhaneneskuzu]

Great.

[@sergioandresjimenezbernal8822]

Que belleza, la musicalidad que lleva como si contara mil historia con su sonido.

[@alexandersh895]

the last one sounds like banjo and country. super cool perfomance

[@dickbutt42069]

these are fucking amazing instruments.

[@maricuuuuuuuuuuuuute]

Beautiful

[@GriffinU]

Whoo, man! That woman in Wu Man is incredible.

[@Arkzyw]

Genius!...no more words needed

[@davidgeorgemarksergeant4373]

Magnificent.

[@antikeithstudiosnyc6270]

that was so enjoyable

[@fooglez]

chills, everywhere.

[@pyaeaung5893]

beautiful

[@user-luanquandasilaoshifu]

Ancient Chinese poets used the sound of pearls falling on a jade dish to describe the sound of the pipa.

[@EggsEngineering]

really great music!

[@tinagore7382]

This shit is tight as hell

[@bladeshards5065]

Woah... dude...its like music or somethin..

[@talon115]

Very nice!

[@VIsTheMusic]

YAY I love these concerts so much - thank you. Love - Vi An

[@jg6582]

Damn.... ancient Chinese music school musta been the shit back in the day lol.

[@NoName-tq7qc]

It was also really hard back then. I've read that they spent hundreds of hours to get in and thousands perfecting their art.

[@jg6582]

We do that now too.

[@NoName-tq7qc]

That is true.

[@edshipsey]

love the use of silence

[@MegalopsykhiaLIN]

The another reason why a lot of girls learning pipa but not boys is that pipa is traditionally for girls, for boys they practice Erhu, Guqin etc. A lot of pipa masters were males though

[@niallahorana3377]

I love Guqin it's so pretty.

[@MegalopsykhiaLIN]

@@KapkztAnimates I said "traditionally"

[@KapkztAnimates]

@@MegalopsykhiaLIN oh ok sorry

[@esse9]

holy shit is this intense. i am completely captivated. never heard nothing like this. how wonderful :)

[@jasonstraight3338]

Holy finger rolls, batman!

[@vsimdobra1382]

Bravo !

[@tango-bravo]

Beautiful woman; beautiful music

[@okal]

Last piece sounds very similar to music from the Sahel (deserts of West Africa). Like something a griot would play.

[@sweetlymiserable]

+Okal Otieno I love the music from the western Africa, especially from Senegal!

[@hiemehbarron9768]

Okal Otieno the Silk Road ran from Timbuktu to China...it's not a stretch to imagine the African influence on the Far East.

[@brycechristianlowry232]

And visa versa.

[@mrkrud]

Wouldn't surprise me if you could mail order actual musicians from anywhere on the Silk Road and some enterprising individual would "acquire" and deliver. Please allow 4-6 years delivery.