Flow

At The Huntington, not far from downtown Los Angeles, is the spectacular /Liu Fang Yuan, a 15-acre classical-style garden, inspired by those in Suzhou, China. In 2019, The Huntington commissioned visual artist /Tang Qingnian to create a video installation to commemorate the garden's latest phase of expansion. The 40-minute video celebrates scenes from all four seasons at the garden, plus its subtly ever-present landscaping of bamboo. With contrasts of richness in sound color between the instruments, this album features original solo and duo works by /Wu Man (/pipa) and /Kojiro Umezaki (/shakuhachi). Initially composed to partner Tang Qingnian's video, the works are re-produced here as an album of music under the title /Flow. The hope is to share a musical experience of the garden and its changes through each year.