https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Wu_Man_%28China%29_-_WOMEX_15%2C_2015.10.24_%281%29.JPG, Elekes Andor / CC BY-SA
Chinese-American Pipa Player & Composer • Born 1963 • Traditional Chinese and Contemporary Music
Fast Facts
- Her family name (what Americans call the last name) is Wu, and her given name (what Americans call the first name) is Man, because Chinese names use that order.
- Born in Hangzhou, China
- Plays the pipa, a 2000-year-old Chinese instrument named after the plucking sounds of its strings
- Was the first person to earn a Master’s Degree in pipa at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China
- Performs solo and with groups such as major orchestras, The Kronos Quartet, and Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Ensemble
- Composes for pipa and other instruments
- Tries to spread the pipa into other genres such as electronic music and into other art forms such as theater
- Loves to improvise in her playing
- Lives in California
Musician of the Month Project 
