North American Guqin Association

The guqin (a seven-stringed plucked zither) is a quntessential Chinese musical instrument with a history of more than 3,000 years.  Unlike other classical Chinese instruments that were adapted from foreign cultures, the guqin is uniquely Chinese.  Its reputation rests not only on the rich and diverse musical expressions it is capable of, but on the fact that it is widely viewed as a symbol of Chinese culture.  Chinese thought and philosophy are integrally imbued in the guqin repertoire itself; behind every guqin piece, there is a legend or an underlying philosophy.  Guqin music was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003.

Since guqin players are few and far between, the North American Guqin Association was formed to use modern technology to promote the ancient arts and unite guqin players and aficionados worldwide.  Their goal is to introduce guqin music, exchange guqin information, create a worldwide guqin network, as well as offer guqin lessons and give guqin performances in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The North American Guqin Association received grants from ACTA's Living Cultures Grants Program in 2008, 2009, and 2010.  In 2008 and 2009, grant funds supported their The Guqin: A Living Chinese Scholarly Tradition project, featuring Professor Li Xiangting from China and California-based masters Fei Wang and Lu Pei Yuan in the presentation of masterpieces from 200 to 2,000 years old from different periods of Chinese history.  The project also included lecture-demonstrations and master classes.  Culture bearers of the guqin tradition in the United States and China collaborated on the project, representing different schools of instruction and centuries of guqin compositions.

In 2010, grant funds supported the North American Guqin Association's Art of the Guqin: Beyond a Museum Piece project featuring a series of workshops and concerts.  Held at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, California-based artist Wang Fei will be joined by guest artists, including her master teacher, Professor Li Xiangting from Beijing who is considered the most knowledgeable living exponent of the instrument.