Hammering Away
Wenzhuo Zhang (CFA’10) wins National Hammered Dulcimer Championship
When Wenzhuo Zhang first started playing the yangqin, or Chinese dulcimer, at the age of five, she had to sit on a cushion to reach all the strings.
But Zhang (CFA’10) doesn’t need the boost now. Not only has she mastered the instrument, she’s winning competitions. Zhang won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kans., on September 20.
“It’s a little bit surprising, because I play the Chinese dulcimer, and it’s a little bit different than the American,” says Zhang, who graduated from the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and placed first in the Chinese National auditions. “To me, it means a lot, especially since it’s my first time competing in the United States.”
Zhang came to the United States in 2006, with her carefully packed yangqin, to study music education at the State University of New York at Fredonia, where she earned a master’s degree in 2007. She is pursuing a doctorate in music education at BU through online courses.
Along with the championship, Zhang won $100 and an American dulcimer.
“It’s very cool,” she says. “I’ve always wanted an American one, and then I won it. I tried to play it, and it’s so different. The scales are laid out with less notes, and it is a lot smaller. But I like it.”
Kimberly Cornuelle can be reached a kcornuel@bu.edu.
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