Chinese-Canadian erhu master George Gao will collaborate with Bill Bridges (guitar), Lew Mele (bass), Rick Lazar (percussion) and Zhang Haijing (vocal) to present a blend of Chinese folk and modern musical elements.

    The erhu is sometimes known in the Western world as the “Chinese violin,” even though it only has two strings, while the violin has four. Gao invented the Shaoqin Erhu, a traditional Chinese two-stringed bowed erhu instrument fixed with gadgets to increase the range, ease the tuning and perfect the sound of a traditional erhu.

    Gao began studying the erhu with his parents at the age of 6. In 1979, he entered a middle school affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music where he received professional erhu training, piano lessons and studied classical Western music theory. He later studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada.

    After winning first prize in the Beijing National Erhu Invitational Competition in 1985, he found erhu’s traditional repertoire too limited compared to classical Western music, so he re-arranged some Chinese folk and Western pieces.

    At only 19 years old, Gao transposed “Carmen Fantasy” into an erhu work in 1986 and later transposed many Western pieces for the erhu, such as Saint-Saens’ “The Swan,” Bach’s “Gounod Avi Maria” and Paganini’s “Moto Perpetuo.” His adaptations successfully display the same virtuosity as the original versions.

    Gao has written many erhu works, such as his five caprices, which fuse traditional Chinese music with different world cultures.

    Time: 8 p.m., Sept. 14

    Tickets: 100-880 yuan

    Venue: Shenzhen Grand Theater, 5018 Shennan Road East, Luohu District (罗湖区深南东路5018号深圳大剧院)

    Metro: Luobao or Shekou Line, Grand Theater Station (大剧院站), Exit B(SD News)