The erhu is a traditional Chinese stringed instrument not often heard in the United States. Photo courtesy of China National Traditional Orchestra. Since her arrival to the United States in 1997, Zhang, a 30-year specialist in erhu , is venturing out to collaborate with the American modern dance scene. People really liked it. They opened my eyes.
Modern dance is like sculpture.
I feel it's really nice. Today, she is an active performer with the San Francisco based Jumping Buddha Ensemble, which features several genres of Chinese music brushed with an original world music touch. The band's album by the same name, which was recorded in 1998, showcased Zhang's musical range and detailed expertise on the erhu . On the second day Zhang was in this country, she ran into Frank Tao at the Chinese Culture Center, with whom she exchanged notes about the local Chinese music scene. Tao later introduced her to members of Jumping Buddha, and she's been a part of them since.