Percussionist Wang Wei began his collaboration with the San Francisco Guzheng Music Society (Guzheng Music) along with Door Dog Music Productions (also known as San Francisco World Music) in 2007. When Guzheng Music was unable to continue leading the project, the balance of the grant was transferred to Door Dog. The project plan includes an array of traditional Chinese musicians — in both the United States and China — working together to explore Chinese opera. Its completion has been delayed by Chinese government limitations on some of the artists’ ability to travel.
Chinese music and opera encompasses at least 100 distinct regional styles. This collaboration, “The Chinese Opera Project,” incorporates new compositions and arrangements for opera, percussion, other instruments, and vocals steeped in the musicians’ respective regional traditions. It also includes Western staging techniques, projections of field research in China, and scenic and lighting design by Matthew Antacky.
Lead artist Wang Wei has studied and performed traditional Chinese percussion around the world. He is using his experience of studying and performing many styles of Chinese percussion, opera percussion, and non-Chinese percussion to unite the cast of musicians and singers.
Door Dog produces the annual San Francisco World Music Festival, featuring outstanding traditional musicians from around the globe.