Qing Du’s work moves fluidly across different musical worlds, exploring how the sound of the guzheng can move beyond traditional boundaries — entering contemporary music, cinematic atmospheres, orchestral settings, electronic performance, and cross-cultural collaboration.
Rooted in the sound of a 2,500-year-old Chinese instrument yet continuously evolving, these projects are driven by a fascination with sound that feels both ancient and new. Unfamiliar at first, yet carrying an emotional immediacy that resonates across cultures.
Across live performance, media, games, and collaborative projects, the guzheng becomes more than a traditional instrument. It becomes texture, atmosphere, memory, tension, stillness, and emotional presence within new sonic spaces.
These projects reflect both her current work and ongoing artistic direction — exploring new ways for ancient Chinese sound to exist, respond, and connect within today's creative world.
Rooted in the sound of a 2,500-year-old Chinese instrument yet continuously evolving, these projects are driven by a fascination with sound that feels both ancient and new. Unfamiliar at first, yet carrying an emotional immediacy that resonates across cultures.
Across live performance, media, games, and collaborative projects, the guzheng becomes more than a traditional instrument. It becomes texture, atmosphere, memory, tension, stillness, and emotional presence within new sonic spaces.
These projects reflect both her current work and ongoing artistic direction — exploring new ways for ancient Chinese sound to exist, respond, and connect within today's creative world.
Artistic Directions
01 — Contemporary & Electronic Contexts
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02 — Orchestral & Ensemble Contexts
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03 — Cross-cultural Dialogues
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04 — Composition & Music for Media
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05 — Solo Repertoire & Interpretations
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01 — Guzheng in Contemporary & Electronic Contexts
Exploring the guzheng within contemporary music, live performance, and electronic environments — as a melodic voice, a textural layer, and a rhythmic presence.
From collaborations with artists such as Gorillaz to ongoing exploration of guzheng with electronics, this direction focuses on placing the instrument within modern sonic landscapes while preserving its organic character and expressive depth.
FEATURED COLLABORATION
Guzheng Live with Gorillaz
Qing Du performing live with Damon Albarn during Gorillaz’s 25th anniversary concerts in London.
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Featured as part of Gorillaz’s live performances in London, the collaboration brought the guzheng into the band’s cinematic and genre-blurring world. As the final moments of the show unfolded, the full band gradually fell away, leaving the sound of the guzheng to close the performance. Surrounded by live electronics, shifting visuals, and collective atmosphere, the instrument carried Chinese and Asian sonic textures into a contemporary space that felt both intimate and vast. Ancient Chinese sound was reimagined through melancholy, stillness, and shared emotion — suspended somewhere between tradition, memory, and modern sound.
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The Guardian described her as “the guzheng virtuoso Qing Du”
following Gorillaz’s 25th anniversary concerts in London. Read the Review → |
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02 — Guzheng in Orchestral & Ensemble Contexts
From intimate chamber collaborations to large-scale orchestral productions, these projects explore how the guzheng can move fluidly across traditional, classical, contemporary, and intercultural ensemble and orchestral collaborations.
Recent highlights include performances with the BBC Concert Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall for BAFTA Games in Concert — this production places the guzheng within orchestral and contemporary ensemble contexts, expanding the instrument’s role across cinematic, symphonic, and cross-genre performance; alongside international productions such as the World String Ensemble at Dubai Expo.
Recent highlights include performances with the BBC Concert Orchestra at London’s Royal Festival Hall for BAFTA Games in Concert — this production places the guzheng within orchestral and contemporary ensemble contexts, expanding the instrument’s role across cinematic, symphonic, and cross-genre performance; alongside international productions such as the World String Ensemble at Dubai Expo.
FEATURED COLLABORATION
Created for projects connected to BAFTA Games in Concert, these recordings place the guzheng inside cinematic and game music settings — not only as a solo instrument, but as part of atmosphere, tension, movement, and emotional colour.
Developed across orchestral sessions and immersive studio productions, Qing's work explores how the guzheng can carry melody and texture while blending naturally into contemporary visual worlds. |
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Ceremononial Cultural ProductionsLarge-scale ceremonial performances created for international cultural events, including a symphonic intercultural arrangement of the UAE national anthem at opening ceremony for Museum of the Future in Dubai.
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Chamber Quartet CollaborationsIntimate chamber performances at venues including London County Hall, bringing the guzheng into dialogue with piano and strings through contemporary arrangements and collaborative interpretation.
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Chinese Ensemble WorksEnsemble collaborations with other Chinese instruments such as Erhu and Pipa, presenting traditional repertoire and contemporary chamber works rooted in Chinese musical aesthetics.
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FEATURED COLLABORATION
Presented as part of a major Dubai Expo music project, the World String Ensemble brought together musicians and string traditions from across cultures in a contemporary large-scale live production.
Combining guzheng with Middle Eastern, African, and Western musical traditions, the project explored intercultural dialogue with new ensemble textures through a shared orchestral language. |
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03 — Cross-Cultural Dialogues
Collaborations with musicians across cultures, working with instruments such as oud, sitar, handpan, didgeridoo and lyra — alongside a range of traditional and contemporary percussion — through improvisation, composition, and live performance
Spanning classical, contemporary, and experimental contexts, these projects focus on dialogue — where different traditions and cultures meet, respond, and form new shared musical languages.
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04 — Composition & Music for Media
Composing and recording guzheng for film, games, animation, and media projects — bringing Chinese voice into cinematic scores, electronic production, and visually led creative work.
Recent collaborations include soundtrack development with legendary hip hop artist Bootie Brown, studio experiment sessions with London-based producer Ocean, and game music projects connected to BAFTA-recognised orchestral productions.
Across these works, the guzheng becomes more than a traditional instrument — it carries melody, texture, atmosphere, and emotional detail within new musical landscapes.
Across these works, the guzheng becomes more than a traditional instrument — it carries melody, texture, atmosphere, and emotional detail within new musical landscapes.
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05 — Solo Repertoire & Interpretations
From intimate settings to large stages, these curated selection of solo performances explore the full expressive range of the guzheng — showcasing the versatility of the guzheng in both traditional and contemporary settings.
Solo performances spanning traditional repertoire, contemporary adaptations, and original interpretations.
Solo performances spanning traditional repertoire, contemporary adaptations, and original interpretations.
Music as Connection
Beyond performances, collaborations, and projects, some of the most meaningful moments happen in simple human encounters. Many of the people I meet have never seen a guzheng before, and may know little about the culture it comes from. Yet curiosity has a wonderful way of bringing people together.
A question, a conversation, a shared moment of listening — and suddenly something unfamiliar feels a little closer.
Music may begin with sound, but often it becomes a bridge between people, cultures, and stories.
A question, a conversation, a shared moment of listening — and suddenly something unfamiliar feels a little closer.
Music may begin with sound, but often it becomes a bridge between people, cultures, and stories.
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Work with Qing
Interested in collaborating or learning more about these projects? Whether you are a musician, producer, curator, or organisation, feel free to get in touch to explore possibilities.
The GUZHENG STUDIO
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