Haiqiong Deng to Perform for C-N’s Concert-Lecture Series

The music of 4,000 years will grace Carson-Newman College’s Thomas Recital Hall on Tuesday evening when Haiqiong Deng plays a recital on the gu-zheng (“jung”), a 21-string, zither-like instrument on which each string corresponds to a moveable bridge. The 7:30 p.m. event in Thomas Recital Hall is the first performance event of C-N’s 2012-13 Concert-Lecture series.

Deng’s experience includes directing Florida State University’s Chinese Music Ensemble and winning the Outstanding Performance Prize at the Chinese National gu-zheng Competition. Making her professional debut in Beijing in 1997, she has since developed an international reputation as soloist and chamber musician with numerous performances throughout China, Japan, Singapore and the United States.

“Haiqiong is a powerful and disciplined musician who is steeped in the thousands of years old tradition of the gu-zheng and Chinese classical and folk music,” says Dr. Richard Scruggs, of C-N’s Music faculty. “She is widely recognized as one of the world’s foremost soloists of the gu-zheng. We are honored to have her as a guest here at C-N.”

Deng received her Bachelor of Music degree in gu-zheng performance from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Master of Arts in Arts Administration and Ethnomusicology from the Florida State University School of Music. Her performances include the World Music Festival in Chicago, the Region IV Conference Festival of Contemporary Music in Memphis, the Festival of New Music at Florida State University and the College Music Society National Conference, held in San Francisco.

The second CLS event will feature a Constitution Day focus at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, September 17. Other events include John Mark McMillan in Gentry Auditorium at 8 p.m. on October 28 and Deanna Swoboda in concert on November 8.

The semester’s CLS offerings are available at http://www.cn.edu/news?view=396. For more information, call 865-471-3328.