Prelude To The Divine Realm (2025)

""Prelude To The Divine Realm" is an exceptional collaboration between two of China’s most celebrated musicians: pipa master Gao Hong and guqin virtuoso Zhao Xiaoxia. This precious and elegant album revisits some of China’s most iconic traditional compositions, such as "Three Variations on the Plum Blossom" and "Yangguan Sandie", infused with the duo’s distinctive improvisational artistry. The result is an evocative amalgam of ancient tradition and contemporary interpretation that bridges the past and present. Recorded in a single snowy afternoon at Beijing’s historic Miao Temple Studio, the album reflects the seamless synergy between these masterful performers. Their spontaneous interplay transforms each track into a vivid musical dialog, where the pipa’s crisp resonance and the guqin’s profound tones intertwine beautifully. Gao Hong is author of the first English-language pipa method book, she has made significant contributions to the global understanding of her instrument." (World Music Central)