WAVES OF TRADITION: A NEW HORIZON IN SCOTTISH-CHINESE MUSIC Comes to Edinburgh
Performances run 19 – 23 August.
By: Stephi Wild Jun. 11, 2025
This cross-cultural music performance brings together the Chinese Zheng, and Celtic harp and Scottish Bodhrán in a contemporary concert setting that explores connection through sound. Three musicians – Zheng virtuoso Wan Xing, and Glasgow-based harp and percussion duo Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black – blend traditional techniques with modern improvisation. Waves of Tradition: A New Horizon in Scottish-Chinese Music features reimagined folk melodies, rhythmic dialogues, and moments of spontaneous interplay, highlighting each instrument’s unique timbre while building a shared musical language. The Zheng provides sweeping lyrical phrases, the harp adds textures and harmonies, and the bodhrán grounds the ensemble with steady, responsive rhythms. Moving between solo passages and ensemble sections, the musicians experiment with pace, dynamics, and tone, creating a live soundscape that bridges East and West. The concert invites audiences into a shifting world of sound, where cultural exchange and innovation take centre stage.
Wan Xing said, “At Yo-Yo Ma’s Silkroad Global Musician Workshop, I met Gregor and Eleanor – two incredible Scottish musicians – and it felt like a natural alignment of traditions. We came from very different backgrounds, but found a shared language in improvisation, storytelling, and curiosity. This concert is our way of exploring how deeply connected our musical heritages can be when we listen and create together across cultures.”
A master of Zheng, Wan Xing known for her spiritually resonant music with oriental aesthetics. She skilfully blends diverse musical styles, combining traditional and contemporary elements to create a unique sound. Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black are a Glasgow-based harp and percussion duo who have performed at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival and released their debut EP Let No Man. Alongside their duo project, Eleanor performs with award-winning Irish alt-folk band, Ranagri, and Gregor performs with his Irish trio, Green Time Folk, and ceilidh band, Stroma.
Hong Kong Soul is a contemporary platform created by TS Crew to showcase the diversity and unique talents of Hong Kong artists, now in its third year. This year they present four shows: No Sugar No Milk (Prototyping) (Assembly George Square), HK Soul showcase – Triple Bill (Assembly @ Dance Base), Rock Hard – A Theatrical A Cappella Adventure (theSpaceUK) and Waves of Tradition: A New Horizon in Scottish-Chinese Music (theSpaceUK).
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