For centuries, European folk music has been a source of ideas and energy for classical music. In the last century, American folk music has done the same. But it's only in about the last two decades that Chinese traditional music has begun to have a real impact on Western classical music.
Wu Man is a virtuoso on the Chinese lute, the pipa. On Performance Today, she performs ancient traditional music and new music written by Western composer Philip Glass.
In the third of a five-part series, NPR's Fred Child explores the connections between folk and oral traditions from around the world and the western tradition of classical music.
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