Wu Man (woo MAHN)

Wu Man is a pioneering pipa virtuoso, composer, and educator who has redefined the role of the pipa—a traditional Chinese lute—in both Chinese and Western contexts. As the leading ambassador of the instrument, she has premiered hundreds of new works, spearheaded cross-cultural collaborations, and helped preserve ancient traditions while opening new musical frontiers. Her work spans solo performance, chamber music, orchestral collaborations, and multimedia projects, with a reach that includes opera, film, theater, dance, and visual art.

She has performed with leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and Chicago Symphony, and collaborated with artists like Yo-Yo Ma, Philip Glass, and the Kronos Quartet—creating and premiering works across musical traditions. With Kronos, she has premiered landmark works like Ghost Opera and composed Four Chinese Paintings as part of their Fifty for the Future initiative. Her discography includes nearly 50 albums spanning traditional Chinese music, cross-cultural projects, and contemporary works.

In the 2025–26 season, she performs concertos written for her including Lou Harrison’s Pipa Concerto with The Knights at the Met Museum and Du Yun’s Ears of the Book with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and tours with the Shanghai Symphony and Silkroad Ensemble. A founding member of the Silkroad Ensemble, Wu Man has toured globally, appeared in the Emmy-winning documentary The Music of Strangers, and featured on the group’s Grammy Award-winning album Sing Me Home.

A recipient of the 2023 NEA National Heritage Fellowship and Asia Society’s Asia Arts Game Changer Award, Wu Man has also been honored with an honorary doctorate from New England Conservatory and the inaugural Steven Schick Prize. Born in Hangzhou, China, Wu Man was a prodigy and the first to earn a master’s in pipa at Beijing’s Central Conservatory. Now based in California, she continues to elevate the pipa on world stages—dedicated to ensuring its relevance and resonance in the global musical conversation.