Stylistic Development and performance practice: From unpublished Chinese folksongs to new Australian compositions

My exploration of traditional Chinese music began in 2008 when I was asked to present something "new and different" for the Sunday Live Program on ABC Classic FM. After consulting my father, Dr. Wei Deng, ethnomusicologist and performer on the pipa (Chinese four-stringed plucked lute), I decided on a program of contemporary solo piano pieces by Chinese composers, classical solo pipa pieces, a duet for piano and pipa, and some French pieces to highlight the similarities between Chinese and Impressionist composition techniques. As the concert was well received with many repeat broadcasts on ABC Classic FM, I decided to pursue this area of my cultural heritage further.