By Ellie Wise, student intern, Office of University Communications
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Ming Ke, a traditional Chinese pipa player, is scheduled to perform at a guest recital Monday, April 4, at 8 p.m. The recital will be at The Gheens Recital Hall, 210 University Drive in Campbellsville.
Ke has appeared as a soloist with principal orchestras in China, Japan, Spain and the United States since she debuted in 1985, and has been described in the Cincinnati Enquirer as a performer whose performances “sparkle with grace and expression.”
Ke has also been described as a master interpreter of traditional and contemporary music for the pipa, a four stringed, pear-shaped instrument similar to the lute, mandolin or banjo.
A native of Nanjing, China, Ke studied at the Fine Arts College in Nanjing, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Pipa Performance in 1982. Following her graduation, she taught aspiring pipa students for ten years at her alma mater. During that time, Ke additionally gave solo concerts and orchestral performances in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Hubei, China and Nagoya, Japan.
In 1993, after a brief period living in Barcelona, Spain, Ke moved to the United States with her family. Soon after, Ke began performing in various festivals, universities, performing arts centers and Chinese gatherings everywhere from Arizona to New York.
Ke has recently been exploring the world of digital music, in collaboration with digital music composer, Yi Qun. Ke gives new life to traditional pipa solos by combining pipa solos with innovative music technology using her “Human-Machine Integration” method.
Everyone is invited to the recital. For more information, contact Dr. Wesley Roberts, professor of music, at (270) 789-5287 or email at mwroberts@forms.campbellsville.edu.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university that has enrolled up to 12,000 students yearly. The university offers over 100 programs of study including doctoral, masters, bachelors, associate and certification programs. The website for complete information is www.campbellsville.edu.