Pipa Virtuoso Wu Man Honored by the U.S. National Endowment for the Arts

Wu is the recipient of two awards, including the NEA's National Heritage Fellowship, which carries a value of $25,000

The Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man was recently named as one of nine recipients of the 2023 National Heritage Fellowship, which is given by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The award is America's highest honor for folk music practitioners and carries a cash prize of $25,000.

In addition, this year Wu is one of three recipients of the Asia Society's Asia Arts Game Changer Awards, and she will receive this prize at a ceremony in New York on March 8.

The two honors recognize and celebrate Wu's artistic excellence, as well as her commitment to crossing musical and cultural borders — thus reaching wider audiences.

Since emigrating to the United States more than three decades ago, Wu Man has established a reputation as a pipa player of the highest order. She has regularly appeared with some of the nation's best orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

During the 1990s, she established a strong relationship with the Kronos Quartet and has collaborated with them on many projects — including the critically acclaimed disc Early Music and the premiere of Tan Dun's Ghost Opera.

"When I arrived in America I did not know how my music and my culture would be received by the American music community," Wu Man said. "It has been an ongoing and ever-evolving adventure to discover the openness and generosity of musicians, composers, dancers, and presenters to embrace my culture through our varied musical conversations."

"By using the pipa as an instrument for experimentation and cultural curiosity, I have been able to cross genres and to bring east and west together in sometimes surprising and meaningful ways," she continued. "I feel extremely honored to have my work recognized by the NEA and the Asia Society with these prestigious awards."

"The 2023 National Heritage Fellows exemplify what it means to live an artful life," said Maria Rosario Jackson, the Chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.

"Their rich and diverse art forms connect us to the past, strengthen our communities today, and give hope to future generations in ways that only the arts can. Our nation is strengthened through their meaningful practices, expressions, and preservation of traditional artistry."