Trends in the Globalization of Pipa Music

Abstract

Abstract After reviewing the general status of pipa 琵琶 music in China, this chapter examines new trends of pipa music in recent decades. Specifically, a number of well-known pipa players from mainland China moved and settled abroad since the 1980s, and they have introduced pipa music through their performances and teaching to many people across the world. Due to environmental changes, diverse forms of performance have been generated, such as ensembles combining pipa with instruments from non-Chinese cultures. Meanwhile, new compositions have been created, most of which present hybridized musical styles stemming from multicultural diversity. Pipa players making music with players of instruments from other cultures undertake more improvisation, as compared to pipa players in China nowadays. This chapter summarizes these new trends, noting the characteristics of the path of globalization relevant to pipa music, and it discusses the history, reasons, and significance of the globalization of pipa music.