Instructor: David Wong
Time: Tuesday & Thursday 4:30pm – 5:30pm
Location: 3rd floor Mezzanine, Chinese Culture Center
Tuition: For Winter, Spring and Fall sessions (10-week per session), $400 per person for CCC members and $450 per person for non-CCC members; For Summer session (8-week), $320 for CCC member, and $360 for non-CCC member
Registration for Winter 2010 session: call 415-986-1822 or register online

Have you ever thought about learning an exotic instrument? If so, this opportunity at the Chinese Culture Center is perfect. This 10-week program is designed to introduce beginner students to this unique style of music. Steeped in history and beauty, the ancient technique of the Guzheng will be discussed, demonstrated and practiced during class periods. No age limit to attend the class!

2010 Guzheng Class Schedule:

Winter 2010 -

Tuesday and Thursday, from January 12 to March 25 – Break from January 15 to 22 (Week of MLK)
Register now!

Spring 2010 – Coming up soon

Summer 2010 – Coming up soon

Fall 2010 – Coming up soon

What is Guzheng?

Guzheng, one of the numerous instruments believed to be indigenous to China, emerged during the Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th to 3rd centuries BCE). By the 8th century CE, it had 12 or 13 strings of silk, increasing to 16 (ultimately of copper or steel wire) and, from the mid-20th century, to 18 or 21. It’s a popular multi-stringed zither, with pitch-defining movable bridge under each of its strings. The strings are tuned to a pentatonic scale without half-steps (usually so, la, do, re, mi) over a 3-plus octave range.

About the Instructor: David Wong

Hailing from a long line of Chinese scholars, David Wong is a lifelong student of traditional Chinese arts. He has studied guzheng (Chinese table harp), guqin (seven string zither), traditional Chinese painting, and tea culture under masters in the United States and China. His interests also led him to graduate studies both here and abroad, researching and absorbing the depths of his Chinese heritage. As a member of the San Francisco Guzheng Music Society, under the tutelage and support of guzheng virtuoso Liu Weishan, Wong takes his passion for teaching and introducing traditional Chinese music and culture, and endeavors to pass along these ancient traditions to the next generation through lessons, classes, workshops and lectures throughout the bay area.

About the San Francisco Guzheng Music Society

Established in 1983, the SF Guzheng Music Society has embodied and spread Liu Weishan’s dream of teaching Chinese culture and music through community performances and educational programs. Each year, members of the S.F. Guzheng Music Society perform at more than a dozen events in schools, public libraries, community centers, and street festivals, introducing the community to traditional Chinese music and providing our young performers a chance to hone their skills in public performance. Besides performances Liu Weishan and her students hold lectures and demonstrations of the guzheng several times a year, to provide the public with a more in-depth understanding of different Chinese musical instruments and different aspects of Chinese performing arts. Besides bringing Chinese music to the community, SF Guzheng Society believes that music is a human heritage to be shared by all.

For the past 24 years, the SF Guzheng Music Society has continually collaborated with musicians from China, Taiwan and the United States to develop its own creative musical compositions and unique performance styles. Through the performances, lectures, and presentations, the Society continues to pass on traditions, arts, and skills to the next generation.