Appalachian Traditions with Chinese Dulcimer
Loudoun County, Virginia
If there’s one thing you can count on at the Center for Cultural Vibrancy Virginia Folklife Stage, it is that it will be graced by the presence of multi-instrumentalist and musical genius Danny Knicely. You can also be sure he’ll be up to something new. Danny has the uncanny ability to thrive in and elevate most any musical situation, and often melds the Appalachian folk music of his youth with the expansive types of music he has encountered in the diverse cultural communities of the US and the globe. He has shared his music and collaborated with musicians in four continents including US State Department tours in Russia, Tunisia, Morocco, and Cabo Verde, as well as participated in the celebrated Mountain Music Project with traditional musicians from Mongolia.
For this year’s Richmond Folk Festival, Danny is teaming up with Chinese dulcimer virtuoso, improviser, sound designer, and visual artist Chao Tian. Chao’s musical dexterity has led to her breaking down barriers and working across creative genres. In her work, she explores the distinct sounds and techniques of the Chinese dulcimer in order to create a multidimensional sensation of improvisation. Her creative interest is mainly in applications of Chinese musical aesthetics and cross-disciplinary improvisation: interactions among music, dance, and visual art, and improvisation in folk music. Her latest project “Unheard Sounds” is dedicated to better exploring the practice of the immigration arts: artistic language reshaped by immigrant artists in cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Chao’s musical adventure started at the age of five, and at the age of twelve, she was admitted to the China Conservatory of Music Affiliated Middle School, where she majored in Chinese dulcimer studies. Chao has gone on to perform in more than 30 different countries and regions across the globe and collaborated with numerous talented musicians on many unprecedented projects. Her talents began to blossom in the United States in 2015 when she was accepted into the prestigious Artist in Residence program at the Strathmore Music Center, where she became fascinated by many cultures and expanded her creative imagination and uniqueness.
Together, Danny and Chao explore the often surprising combination of Appalachian and traditional Chinese dulcimer music, and in doing so create a music completely of their own. Originally a duo, the two will be joined by Zan McLeod, a brilliant guitarist best known for his work backing Irish artists; master Indian-American tabla player Anirudh Alva Changkakoti who studied under legendary tabla master Zakir Hussain; and master jazz bassist John Previti. What, you wonder, will this incredibly eclectic combination of artists produce? Come to the CCV Stage to see and hear for yourself!