Dates: Mon 19th, Wed 21st, Fri 23rd April, 2021, 6 - 7.15pm

Course Fee: £50 (or £45 if purchased alongside Navigating transcultural identity through performance and composition)

Join yangqin virtuoso Reylon Yount in three performance-driven sessions exploring the history and future of this Chinese percussive string instrument. Also known as the Chinese hammered dulcimer, the yangqin is a descendant of the Persian santur, with 144 steel strings that the player strikes with bamboo mallets. Each session will feature live demos on the yangqin - with music ranging from traditional folk tunes to contemporary commissions. Reylon will use his chameleonic yangqin practice as a lens for discussing history, aesthetics, and new directions within Chinese music.

Reylon is a Silkroad artist who has performed yangqin internationally on stages such as TED 2016, Lincoln Center and Xinghai Concert Hall. He was featured alongside Yo-Yo Ma on the 2016 GRAMMY Award-winning record, SING ME HOME. Reylon co-directs Tangram – a London-based artist collective creating new music to transcend the China-West divide.

Music creators interested in learning more can also sign up to "Navigating transcultural identity through music-making" at a reduced cost.