As soft as a feathery cloud floating upon an ocean of sky;

As pure as a single golden ray of sunlight penetrating the dense foliage of an ancient forest.

Sitting on the bank of a calm lake, I dream about this magical instrument:
Silently, it’s body gently curved as a golden bow forever holding its arrow…
Gracefully arching its shapely neck, as if a shy, gentle nod to the statuesque carved pillar, its strings falling like precious jade flowers.

I close my eyes and hear the sounds of Heaven and waterfalls and sparkling waves… is it the sound of those jade strings or have I fallen into a dream?

Sitting on the bank of a calm lake, I dream about playing this magical instrument;
Like a gentle breeze passing by, barely stirring the dust.
The faint echo of rippling arpeggios stretching through the years, fading slightly,   

changing with the passing of time – whispered secrets shared between its forty-seven strings.

A single tone sounds… and quickly fades away.Listen

    The harp is one of the world’s most ancient stringed instruments, its pure and angelic voice echoes through the centuries like a voice from some faraway fairyland.

From its first appearance on the opera stages in the Baroque, the harp’s mystic tones would accompany gods and kings, evoke the beauties of nature and describe visions of heaven.

    Handel, Ravel, Debussy, and Gershwin all succumbed to the harp’s myriad charms, providing numerous solos for gifted virtuosos, while other composers envisioned transcendent harp orchestras: Wagner called for six harps in his massive "Ring of Nibelungen" opera cycle,

while Berlioz needed ten harps for his légende dramatique, “The Damnation of Faust.”

    In contrast to the dazzling excesses of Wagner and Berlioz, Zhang Xiaoyin offers an intimate program of delightful sketches from around the world. In this, her first solo recording, Chinese harpist Zhang Xiaoyin’s “Harp Dreams” has drawn together 16 enchanting musical works that give full voice to both her considerable talent as well as presenting the harp as a truly universal instrument.

    From the elegant beauty of the famous Chinese folk song "Flowing Creek" with its vivid evocation of moonlight shimmering on the water, to the peerless dignity of Saint-Saens’ "The Swan ", and the sublime otherworldly calm of the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria", Zhang’s harp shimmers as a celestial beam of light.

    Zhang perfectly conveys the harp’s playful side in pieces such as the ragtime-influenced "Happy Hours” – complete with bluesy slides as well as reminding us that in classical music, the harp is the QUEEN of instruments, as in her magical interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s "Waltz of the Flowers!"

    She also remembers that the harp was the instrument of choice for generations of minstrel-poets, whose songs of love’s longing and love’s desire is so perfectly expressed in the Chinese folk song "Separated by A River Forever " and the tender "Nataliana."

    For those fortunate enough to have stood near to a harp while it was being played, or actually touched the strings of a harp themselves understand the magic this instrument can exert upon the human heart. Even an unskilled player can produce beautiful sounds, but in the hands of a master – the beauty washes over you in wave after wave of exquisite sounds.

    Principal Harpist for the China Philharmonic Orchestra Zhang Xiaoyin embodies the grace and elegance of her chosen instrument – a sophisticated artist with an international reputation as a soloist, chamber music performer and orchestral musician. Her program of 16 colorful works from around the world will be a revelation for many listeners. Her peerless performances have been perfectly captured by China’s preeminent sound engineer Li Dakang, recorded in the spacious studios of the PLA Band with post-production overseen by the legendary Doug Sax at the Mastering Lab in Hollywood, California – for another phenomenal recording from Rhymoi Music!

    If the heart can be likened to a harp, then each string, and each tone, is a precious feeling to be cherished.
    If our lives are played upon this celestial harp, may the hand touching our life-strings be ever gentle and kind.
If one day, our Harp of Life becomes overgrown with the tendrils of passing years, who will prune back the vines and help us find our song?