Ma Xiaohui At Ramsey Auditorium - Performance Review by Ken

The above is the photo of Ken and his wife with Ms. Ma Xiao Hui.

The following article is the review written by Kent Qualter, music columnist , published for "City NewsHound" Chicago :-

There are a lot of very good musicians in the world. There are actually a lot of great musicians around. But there is another level of musicianship and talent above that where the club becomes much more elite. Musicians who have such a natural ease and affinity with their instruments that it seems that they were born with them. Their instruments are merely an extension of their bodies. Ma Xiaohui would appear to be such a musician.

Ma Xiaohui is a virtuoso on the erhu. The erhu is an ancient Chinese traditional instrument. It might be described as a two string violin. It can be bowed or plucked. Tonally, it sounds like a violin, although it can also produce a more reedy quality, sounding like a violin blended with a bagpipe or clarinet. At other times it sounds almost like a flute. The erhu has a pretty amazing tonal and dynamic range.

Ms. Ma is already a star in China where she has received numerous awards and performs in the most prestigious venues. During the past decade she has performed over 500 concerts with the worlds most renowned orchestras and musicians throughout Asia, Europe, and the Americas. She is best known in the United States for her deeply moving duet with cellist Yo-Yo Ma on the Oscar winning soundtrack of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

Ma Xiaohui performed at Ramsey Auditorium at Fermilab on Saturday, August 1. She was accompanied by pianist Erika Tam-Wang, cellist Mark Lekas, and percussionist Matthew Coley. The format changed between solo, duo, trio, and quartet. The three stellar musicians provided a very sympathetic accompaniment for Ms. Ma. Ms. Tam-Wang played with a style and grace that earned her a solo performance on "Dance Of Spring."

The program showcased the range and musical tastes of Ma Xiaohui. It included an Egyptian folk song, a piece by J. S. Bach, "My Way," a piece by South American composer Astor Piazzola, traditional and contemporary Chinese music, and an original composition, "The Spirit of My Erhu." The encore consisted of a waltz and a tango. The modern Chinese music was particularly interesting. It seemed to be a fusion of Western classical and Chinese ideas.

I would guess that her accompanists were playing primarily fixed parts, while Ms. Ma had much more freedom to improvise. She is a very expressive performer, evoking everything from profound sorrow to joy to humor (her musical argument with the cello during "My Way.") There is a very romantic quality to her playing. Stylistically, there were traces of jazz, Celtic, and gypsy music in her solos, as well as classical and Oriental. She also incorporated birdcalls and the sounds of a horse whinnying into her performance. While animal calls are nothing new, to incorporate them so seamlessly into a solo requires extraordinary talent.

Ma Xiaohui takes great pride in her Chinese heritage and culture. But she also embraces the other cultures she comes into contact with. She performs with style, and grace, and a wonderful sense of humor. She is a marvelous ambassador for the Chinese people and a rising star in the musical universe.

Ma Xiaohui will be performing at the UIC Forum on Sunday, August 9, at 2 PM. Call 312-413-9875 for ticket information