DUO CONCERT WITH ABIGAIL WASHBURN

It is not often that a string duo bends space and time, and yet here are Fei and Washburn presenting the first and only guzheng and banjo duet. The dulcet sounds of Fei’s ancient Chinese 21-string zither rings harmoniously with Washburn’s virtuosic clawhammer picking. It is as if these self-professed musical soulmates started digging on opposite sides of the globe only to find their cultural roots inextricably intertwined. Beijing-born Fei is a classically trained, multilingual composer whose wide range of commissions include works for symphonies, film, and modern dance, and Washburn is a Grammy-winning performer (Béla Fleck duo) who is fluent in Mandarin.