流芳Flow (ICR019) by Wu Man & Kojiro Umezaki

At The Huntington, not far from downtown Los Angeles, is the spectacular 流芳園/Liu Fang Yuan, a 15-acre classical-style garden, inspired by those in Suzhou, China. In 2019, The Huntington commissioned visual artist 唐慶年/Tang Qingnian to create a video installation to commemorate the garden’s latest phase of expansion. The 40-minute video celebrates scenes from all four seasons at the garden, plus its subtly ever-present landscaping of bamboo.

With contrasts of richness in sound color between the instruments, this album features original solo and duo works by 吴蛮/Wu Man (琵琶/pipa) and 梅崎康二郎/Kojiro Umezaki (尺八/shakuhachi). Initially composed to partner Tang Qingnian's video, the works are re-produced here as an album of music under the title 流芳/Flow. The hope is to share a musical experience of the garden and its changes through each year.

Recognized as the world’s premier pipa virtuoso and leading ambassador of Chinese music, Wu Man is a soloist, educator and composer who gives her lute-like instrument a new role in both traditional and contemporary music. Noted as a "virtuosic, deeply expressive shakuhachi player and composer," Kojiro Umezaki pursues situating his traditional Japanese instrument within hybrid practices of music.