The Human Seasons — A Pipa Odyssey
Performed by Yuanchun Yu, pipa
Overview
The Human Seasons — A Pipa Odyssey traces the poetic cycle of life through the voice of one of China’s most ancient and expressive instruments — the pipa.
Inspired by the four seasons — spring, summer, autumn, and winter — this programme transforms the rhythm of nature into an inner journey of the human soul.
In Western philosophy, “the human seasons” recalls John Keats’s meditation on how a soul lives through its own spring of youth, summer of passion, autumn of reflection, and winter of transcendence.
In Chinese thought, this same cycle embodies the harmony between humanity and nature (tian ren he yi), the eternal flow of arising, flourishing, ripening, and returning.
Through the resonance of four strings, Yuanchun Yu bridges these two worlds. Her pipa speaks with a voice that is both fragile and eternal — a sound where the touch of the hand becomes thought, and vibration becomes meditation. This is not merely a concert of the seasons, but a contemplation of time, impermanence, and the quiet dialogue between humanity and the divine.
Through the four seasons of life, the pipa whispers what words cannot —
the tenderness of being human, and the silence that touches eternity.
In Yuanchun Yu’s hands, the instrument becomes not merely sound, but a vessel of spirit — where time, nature, and soul breathe as one.
Programme Overview
I. Suite for Pipa Ensemble — Four Seasons (Sun Jing)
A modern chamber suite for multiple pipas, Four Seasons reimagines China’s musical traditions through contemporary structure and color.
Each movement evokes a different landscape and emotion, forming a sonic portrait of time and spirit.
早春
Early Spring
Inspired by the refined lyricism of Jiangnan pingtan melodies, this movement flows with delicate tranquility.
It reflects the awakening of life and the understated elegance of Southern China’s poetic temperament.
夏
Summer
Drawing on the Xinjiang folk melody Gulibita and rhythmic cells from the Twelve Muqam, this section radiates vitality.
Its fiery pulse and ornamented timbre reveal the cultural vibrancy of the Silk Road frontier.
秋归
Autumn’s Return
Built on ascending and descending phrases that transform through repetition, the music breathes serenity and gratitude.
It is dedicated to teachers and mentors — a quiet hymn to transmission and the virtue of patience.
冬·一场飘然而至的小雪
Winter — A Silent Snow
Based on a Northeastern lullaby, the music drifts between memory and stillness.
Snow becomes a metaphor for purity, solitude, and the eternal rhythm of return — a whisper of peace at the end of the cycle.
II. Silence of Strings (静默之弦) — Sun Jing
Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali, this work merges Indian rhythmic sensibility with Chinese melodic introspection.
It contemplates the paradox of silence and sound, echoing Taoist and Buddhist notions that within emptiness lies fullness — within stillness, movement.
III. Battle of Chu and Han (楚汉之战) — Arr. Jiang Ying
A dynamic dialogue for two pipas and percussion.
The piece reenacts the epic conflict between Xiang Yu and Liu Bang, yet beneath its martial gestures lies a deeper reflection on impermanence and honor — the tragic beauty of heroic defeat that defines Eastern aesthetics.
IV. Civil and Martial (文武双全) — Sun Jing
A concerto for pipa and piano representing the dual ideals of wen (literary grace) and wu (martial vigor).
Through dialogue between strings and keys, Yuanchun Yu reveals the balance of intellect and emotion, contemplation and courage — the essence of the Chinese artistic spirit.
Gallery
Dates & Venues
Touring History
October 18, 2025 (Saturday) · 14:30
Langfang Silk Road International Arts Center · Concert Hall
February 3, 2024 (Saturday) · 15:00
Yifang Music Hall, Fangzhuang Cultural and Arts Center · Beijing
December 14, 2023 (Thursday) · 19:30
Chengdu City Concert Hall · Chamber Hall
July 22, 2023 (Saturday) · 19:30
Lao She Theatre · Beijing
March 31, 2023 (Friday) · 19:30
Jiangsu Grand Theatre · Concert Hall
August 13, 2022 (Saturday) · 20:00
Guangming Culture and Arts Center · Concert Hall
About the Artist
Yuanchun Yu
Pipa soloist and faculty member at the Central Conservatory of Music, Yuanchun Yu is the first Doctor of Pipa Performance in China and one of today’s most dynamic voices of the instrument.
A former principal of the China National Traditional Orchestra and UNESCO Artist-in-Residence, she has appeared as soloist at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Berlin Philharmonie, and the National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing).
Her artistry unites tradition with innovation — reviving classical repertoire while premiering new works by leading Chinese composers such as Sun Jing, Luo Maishuo, and Wang Amao.
Described as “a poet of the pipa,” Yu’s performances are celebrated for their sensitivity, precision, and spiritual depth, expressing both the tenderness of human emotion and the transcendence of sound itself.