TEN QUESTIONS

With Min Xiao-Fen

Few artists have done more to both honor and reinvent the 2000-year history of the pipa than soloist, vocalist and composer Min Xiao-Fen. Classically trained in her native China, she served as a principal pipa soloist at Nanjing Traditional Music Orchestra and was an in-demand interpreter of traditional music before relocating to the United States and forging a new path for her instrument alongside many of the leading lights in modern jazz, free improvisation, experimental and contemporary classical music.

NPR Weekend Edition lauded Ms. Min as “one of the world’s greatest virtuosos” and JazzTimes hailed her as “a pioneer in integrating her ancient instrument with modern jazz and improvised music.” The New York Times raved that her singular work “has traversed a sweeping musical odyssey.”

(1) What was the first song you remember learning how to play?

The first song I learned was a folk song
“Jasmine Flower”

(2) Did you have a favorite artist growing up?

My father, Min Julian, who was a pipa master and educator, inspired my musical journey.

(3) If you could jump into a time machine for one concert, who would you see and when?

Thelonious Monk

(4) Besides talent, what is the most important quality for a musician to possess?

Be creative, work hard and never give up.

(5) What is your favorite part about playing at Sigal Music Museum?

I love playing at Sigal Music Museum because the space is filled with history, musical treasures, and inspiration. It’s a rare joy to perform where the past and present meet through music.

(6) If you could learn to play any other instrument, what would it be?

Piano

(7) What’s the most important accessory for a musician to have onstage?

Good sound equipment

(8) What is the last thing you listened to?

Billy Strings

(9) What type of instrument would you most like to see added to the museum?

I’d love to see more Silk Road instruments in the Sigal collection, like Chinese Tang
Style pipa, Uyghur rawap and duty, the Mongolian Morin khuur, Persian santur, and
Middle Eastern oud, qanun, and more. These instruments reflect centuries of cultural exchange across Asia.

(10) We have to ask… You’re stuck on a deserted island… what’s the record?

I would listen to Ella Fitzgerald’s Best of the Song Book – The Collection. It’s timeless.

DON’T MISS HER UPCOMING PERFORMANCE

Min Xiao-Fen received a commission from the Smithsonian Institution in 2023 to compose new original soundtracks for ‘Romance of the Fruit Peddler’ and ‘Romance of the Western Chamber,’ two historical Chinese silent films from the 1920s.

As part of our concert series, on July 12, 2025 she will perform these soundtracks with master percussionist River Guerguerian, a leading figure in classical, jazz, and world music. Together, they bring a unique cross-cultural expression and artistic vision to the stage. Both films will be shown during the performance for a unique cross-cultural, multimedia experience.

Instrumentation:
Min Xiao-Fen: pipa, ruan, sanxian, guqin, finger piano, sound effects, and voice
River Guerguerian: Middle Eastern and Indian frame drums, hand drums, kanjira talking drums, berimbau, doumbek, Chinese gongs, hand-pan, didgeridoo, rain stick, and voice.

:: This event takes place at the Upcountry History Museum::