Fun, thrilling, and otherwordly!

Carolyn Kuan muses on Celebrate Asia! and her own creative journey as the show’s conductor with Natasha Jacob.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I don’t think I had a singular goal.  I wanted to be a ballerina, as I had been a serious ballet student, and a very good one as I recall.  I also thought I wanted to be a fashion designer like my mother, a pianist, an actress—I distinctly remember being Snow White at a theatre camp!—etcetera.  I knew I didn’t want to be a banker.  However, somehow I ended up studying Economics in college.

When did you first consider a career as a conductor? Who were your heroes?

Music has always been a hobby, a secret passion, but I didn’t seriously consider a career as a conductor until I was a student at the Peabody Conservatory.  I was working as the Assistant Conductor of the Baltimore Opera and completely fell in love with “Tosca.”  About the same time, I attended Baltimore Symphony’s rehearsals of “Rite of Spring” conducted by Marin Alsop.  It was inspiring, electrifying, transforming and so much more.  Needless to say, I attended all of the performances, and Marin became my idol.  Imagine my exhilaration when she became my mentor a couple years later!

It seems like conducting is a fairly male-dominated pursuit. What is it like being a woman in the field?

Interestingly, my first experiences as an orchestral conductor took place while I was an undergraduate at Smith College.  Smith is an all-women’s college and it didn’t occur to me at all that conducting is a male-dominated pursuit.  These days, it still isn’t something I think about much, unless I am talking to a reporter.

If you weren’t a conductor, what other careers would you want to explore?

If I weren’t a conductor, I would like to devote myself to the environment, or perhaps be a Zen master.  As a race, we are destroying our planet at an alarming rate.  At the same time, most people don’t take care of their “inner” environment.

Outside of classical music, what other types of music do you enjoy? If you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what would you bring with you?

Well, if I were going to be stuck on a desert island, I’ll be sure to bring my iPod, which has my entire music collection!  My iPod Touch, however, can’t hold as much music; so right now it has all nine of Mahler’s symphonies, some Beethoven piano sonatas, “Der Rosenkavalier,” Harry Potter in German, and various contemporary pieces that I want to explore.
We’ve seen your name in headlines around the world. Where do you enjoy traveling to for work and/or pleasure?

One of my favorite places is the Orkney Islands (UK).  The St. Magnus Festival in the summer has wonderful music.  I love walking around town and seeing sheep and gorgeous, yet simple, scenery.  I had the best fish and chips there, and when one leaves the pub at 2am, it is still light out!

How did you get involved with Celebrate Asia? For you, what distinguishes it from other concerts?

I have been conducting the annual Chinese New Year Concert of San Francisco Symphony since 2007, and it is a fantastic sold-out ‘East meets West’ event every year.  When I spoke about my experience to a SSO Board member who later became the chair for this project, we thought it would be tremendous to do something similar in Seattle with the Seattle Symphony.  However, instead of ‘Chinese meets West,’ we wanted to include as many Asian cultures represented in Seattle as possible.  It has truly been exciting to see Celebrate Asia! grow from just an idea, and it definitely has a very special place in my heart.  Everything about Celebrate Asia! distinguishes it from other concerts–from the music we perform, the soloists we present, to how the event engages and thrills the audience, and so much more.  Perhaps the element that is most important to me is that it is “by the community and for the community.”

If you had to boil down the experience of attending Celebrate Asia! into 3 words, what would they be?

“Not to be missed!”  Oh wait, that is four words.  I think it would be “Fun, Thrilling, and Otherworldly!”

What is the must-see element of this year’s concert on January 22nd? Any tips for first-time attendees of Celebrate Asia?

That is like asking someone with 10 children which one they like the best!  I think all the elements are wonderful and the entire event is a must-see.  As for tips for first-time attendees of Celebrate Asia!, come with friends and just have a great time!

A Passion for the Land

Morin Khuur master Li Bo reflects on the character of Mongolia’s cherished horse-head fiddle

Many people have never heard of the Morin Khuur or Matou Quin. How would you describe the instrument?

Morin Khuur or Matou Qin (or horse-head fiddle) is a two-stringed instrument that originates from Inner Mongolia. This 100 centimeter-long instrument is made of wood. Its name comes from a well-known Mongolian legend in which a young nomad creates the instrument from his beloved and deceased horse’s body–the bones of horse’s legs as the scroll, the skull as the sound box, and the hair of the animal’s tail as the strings, in order to cherish the memory of his beautiful white horse.

The history of Morin Khuur is very long. During the time of Genghis Khan (1155 – 1227), it was already a common folk instrument and later became an important instrument in royal court music. The music of the Morin Khuur expresses the Mongolian nomads’ passion for the land. This kind of music has become practically synonymous with the Mongolian people’s unique lifestyle and culture.The characteristic sound of the Morin Khuur is very deep and round, with an impassioned tone. Morin Khuur is the most suitable instrument to perform Mongolian traditional folk Long Song music. The sound vividly portrays the Mongolian people’s unique lifestyle and the beautiful scenery of Mongolian steppes, the roaring of the wind, the galloping of the horses, and the indigenous music of nomads. When you close your eyes and listen to the beautiful sound of this instrument, you will feel like you are standing on a vast Mongolian steppe.

Has it been hard to increase the awareness of your instrument? Is there a Morin Khuur subculture?

It was quite difficult. First of all, Morin Khuur is an instrument that requires a sophisticated technique. The strings of this instrument are mostly made from nylon, therefore, the necessary skills to playing the Morin Khuur are quite different from other common string instruments and this is what makes Morin Khuur so unique. Moreover, the Morin Khuur is a fairly uncommon instrument, and unlike the violin and piano, it is not well-known throughout the world. When I face a new audience, I initially need to introduce the Morin Khuur in a basic way and then try my best to let my audience understand the unique qualities of this instrument.

Today, the Morin Khuur has established a certain status in the world. I remember when I first played the Morin Khuur and there were only few professional players.  Now, there are thousands of people in the world and over 10,000 people in China who are learning to play the Morin Khuur. The Morin Khuur not only occupies a significant place in the field of the instruments throughout Asia and the whole world, it also attracts  collectors and celebrities from all over the world to add Morin Khuurs as a musical instrument in their prized music collections. What makes me proud and very happy is that world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma also loves the Morin Khuur and has included the instrument in his recent Silk Road Project performances around the world.

Growing up in Mongolia, who were your heroes? What motivated you?

I have loved music since I was a child and adored my music teacher very much at that time.  I started to learn Morin Khuur quickly and I was fascinated by this traditional Mongolian instrument. I loved to play my favorite Mongolian music on the vast prairie.  Genghis Khan, an important hero of my people, is someone I have admired as well. Even though I had achieved certain success in my career, I always feel there is still much to yet accomplish to fulfill my dream of making the Morin Khuur much more known throughout the world. The musicians who are able to bring their music and instruments to the attention of a wider world audience are my role models. They are my inspiration and give me the strength to continually confront the challenges of successfully developing and promoting the Morin Khuur and its music to people everywhere.

You began performing and traveling when you were 15. Were there any particular moments during those journeys that you will never forget?

Of course! When I was fifteen years old, I traveled the vast Mongolian prairie with my Morin Khuur, accompanying arts troupes on carriages and performing for nomads on the land there. Those experiences are among the most cherished memories in my life. There was an old herdsman who thought I was very talented, so he made a Morin Khuur just for me with the hope that I would continue performing this music. This gave me great encouragement and confidence at that time. I was often invited by nomads to play music on the Morin Khuur for camels that just gave birth in order to soothe them from their pain and stress. When I saw how these camels responded so positively and started to nurse their baby camels after listening to my music, I felt I accomplished a valuable service and was so touched by how powerful this music is.

For me, I cherish these intimate and unforgettable experiences as well as more public performances followed by outbursts of applause in Japan, America and around the world. When I was invited to be a visiting professor at the University of Washington, I was honored and thrilled because it gave me an important and new opportunity to popularize the Morin Khuur and was a confirmation that my many years of effort had led to this important assignment.

Outside of classical music, what other types of music do you enjoy? If you were going to be stuck on a desert island, what would you bring with you?

I love just about every type of music. If I were going to be stranded on a desert island, I will bring CD recordings of Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, the music of Tchaikovsky and Michael Jackson with me.

You currently live in Japan. What Japanese instruments or musical forms you have explored?

When I was invited to Japan, I studied Japanese very diligently because I wanted to communicate better with Japanese audiences about the art of the Morin Khuur. With effort I soon was able to speak fluent Japanese. There are many different forms of Japanese traditional music and popular music; currently there are 50 to 80 different forms of Japanese traditional music. Pop, rock and electronic music are also well-developed there. There are three major types of traditional Japanese instruments: percussion instruments, aero phone instruments and stringed instruments. The most representative of the traditional instruments is the Shamisen and others, such as the Gu Zheng (Japanese Zither), are also very common.

I have performed with many traditional Japanese musicians and have also rewritten many well-known traditional Japanese tunes and popular music such as “Sea of Spring” for the Morin Khuur.  These are obviously extremely popular among Japanese audiences. I have also worked with many famous Japanese composers and music performers such as Grammy Award winner Kitaro and composer, Katsuhisa Hattori.

You recently taught as a visiting Ethnomusicology professor at University of Washington. What did you discover from this experience?

During my two years of teaching at University of Washington, I learned a lot. I was able to find creative ways to teach in an appropriate and effective method because I had an opportunity to better understand Western culture. Now, when I play Western music, I have a new understanding and more accurate interpretation of these works. I did not speak English at all when I first came to America, so I only taught through an interpreter. Gradually, I began to use some simple English terms and techniques that I created myself to teach students who came from different countries. I had taught almost a hundred students and many of them were able to perform on stage with me.  The support I received from the University of Washington School of Music and its fellow students during those two years have given me great joy. What makes me also happy is that when I had the honor to perform at Bill Gates’ home, I was able to perform my music and speak to this well-respected and world-famous entrepreneur about the Morin Khuur. It was greatly encouraging to me when I received his praise and admiration. For me, these experiences take me one step closer to accomplishing my mission of bringing this instrument to the attention and enjoyment of audiences throughout the world.