| Newsletter1 |

greetings

As mayor and on behalf of the City of Chicago. I extend warmest greetings to all

hose attending the concert featuring erhu virtuoso Ma Xiaohui

Ms Ma，throughout your career，you have built lasting bridges between cultures,

displayed extraordinary talent and inspired countless people around the world with the

beauty of you r music. I commend you for your commitment to excellence and to

advancing the frontiers of Chinese art. We are honored to have you performing in

Chicago and hope you will return again soon.

Chicago is the proud home of a vibrant Chinese American community and this

event reflects the important role Chinese Americans continue to play in our city‘s life. I

commend the Chinese American Association of Greater Chicago for organizing this special

event and send my best wishes to everyone for an enjoyable and memorable event.

Sincerely,

Mayor

Dear Ma Xiaohui

When I had the honor to meet you this morning after your concert, I called you an Angel. Indeed, you are!

You touched on many emotions...beginning with the exciting "Mustafa"...a few notes into that very first piece it was apparent that we were in for a special experience! As you played "Butterfly Lovers" it was if a girl was singing...so beautiful. And then when you read that poignant poem so touchingly, many of us were brought to tears remembering. Thank you also, for sharing your story through "The Spirit of my Erhu" so many layers to that piece.

And then the next part of the concert was very upbeat...the Tango such fun! The joy that you so obviously feel from performing flows out to the audience so freely...it wafts about the concert hall like a butterfly...it is wonderful! On top of this, you are so beautiful and each of your gowns so lovely, too!

My daughter is studying classical violin in Zurich (she is now working on her masters' degree). How I wish she could have seen your performance today! I am wondering if you have a DVD available? I'll look on-line to see if I can find one.

Ma Xiaohui, for a day I will always remember, I thank you!

Nancy

Hello Ms Xiaohui Ma:

Time goes by so fast! It has been nearly three and a half months since your wonderful Erhu lecture-concert at the Shanghai Library on May 31, 2008. Your beautiful melodies, such as "The Spirit of My Erhu," are often echoing in my ears. Both you and Dr. Tim Kelly made a "spiritual garden" for us that remains green and luxuriant./p>

How are you doing these days? Do you have any plans to perform in Shanghai? I really would like to hear the charming sounds of your instrument again – the magic Erhu. I enjoyed every moment of your music, and felt like “my soul was reborn amidst the pure notes.”

Happy Moon Festival, and I hope you keep smiling and healthy every day. I hope your Erhu music can keep traveling throughout the world, bringing your warmth, elegance and intelligence to everyone.

Erhu Fan: Mingxing Li

T: 13501850993

Hi Dear Friends,

How are you? This is Xiaohui Ma speaking to you from Shanghai……I want to share some of my story with you! (Please check out my website at: www.maxiaohui.com)

I hope you have seen the popular Chinese movie “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and that you enjoyed the movie’s acclaimed soundtrack. I played the Erhu solo, as well as the duet, with Yo-Yo Ma (world-renown cellist). It was a beautiful and moving melody composed by Tan Dun, receiving over 30 awards around the world, including 2000 Oscar for the best soundtrack.

Let me tell you some of what has happened occurred over the past few months. This has been an interesting and amazing season for me. There is only one word that can describe my year so far, and that is WOW - wow as in “stupendous and fantastic.” Life can be beautiful – also, we can do our best to make life more beautiful and meaningful.

2007 ended for me with an interview by Robert Siegel on America's National Public Radio (NPR) in which I spoke of the history of the Erhu (two-string instrument known as the Chinese violin; pronounced “are-who”) and introduced Erhu music to America’s radio audience. I performed some traditional Chinese music, and enjoyed sharing the unique sound of my precious instrument. It was a meaningful experience, and Robert Siegel was very impressed with my music. He dubbed the segment “The Sonorous Sounds of the Erhu.” The Erhu looks like a simple instrument, but its sound is very sensitive, warm, unique and powerful. It can express the deep feelings of human hearts and souls, just like a human voice. That’s why since I was 6 years old I fell in love with my darling Erhu. We grew up traveling around the world together. The Erhu is my best friend.

The first half of 2008 saw me performing my “Erhu Holding Hands with the World” concerts in China’s famous concert halls, as well as in Finland, Japan and the United States. In the US I played in Washington DC, Texas, Georgia and even in New York City’s famous Carnegie Weill Recital Hall (more about this later). I also was invited to provide lectures and master classes in settings such as Baylor University, Shanghai Library, Shanghai Oriental Art Concert Hall, etc. I developed a biographical DVD titled: “Touching the World with Her Heart,” produced by ECF international. I also gave interviews on Chinese radio and TV stations, and wrote several articles, to share my life philosophy and the meaning of my music, and as a leading traditional artist performed in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Performing Arts Center (the “egg”).

On the 18th of June, 2008, I gave a concert at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall in New York City. The title was “Ma Xiaohui: Erhu Holding Hands with the World – A Dialogue with Piano, Cello and Percussion.” It was a colorful program, and a special experience for me since every classical musician aspires to perform at Carnegie. I know in my heart that someday I will return to Carnegie to a full house of 2000 people.

Like all my fellow Chinese, I was full of grief over the massive earthquake that struck Sichuan Province, destroying thousands of homes and killing nearly seventy thousand people. For that reason I dedicated my Carnegie concert to the survivors, and gave a portion of the income to a relief fund.

By way of background, I was born in Tangshan near Beijing, and my parents are professors in geology and civil engineering. I have two sisters as well, and all my family are music lovers. At home we have three instruments: violin, accordion and Erhu. When I was six years old I tried all the instruments, and ended up choosing the Erhu even though it was seen as a man’s instrument – with a simple shape.

I moved with my parents to Sichuan in southwest China, but when I decided to become an expert artist I returned to the Tangshan area to find the right Erhu teacher for me. Then a horrible earthquake suddenly occurred in Tangshan. I felt so afraid because my parents were so far away from me (over 40 hours by train). In one short night many classmates disappeared – I couldn’t believe it. I was lucky to still be alive. I had to live in an earthquake shelter for six months without any communication from my parents. It was a terrible experience which hurt my spirit. After this, I often had bad dreams - suddenly waking up feeling panic, and drenched in sweat. For a long time I put a chair over me before I went to sleep to protect my head in case of earthquake. Of course now I’m fine and have a peaceful and strong positive spirit, but the suffering of that time helped shape me into who I am today. Perhaps my love of life comes from being faced with death.

When I was 13 years old I came to Shanghai to follow my vision. I successfully competed for a coveted training position at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where I trained for 9 years. I was a very good student, and was invited to join the famous Shanghai Traditional Orchestra, eventually becoming Erhu soloist and concertmaster. Five years ago I created my own program “Erhu Holding Hands with the World,” and began traveling around the world with my darling Erhu like a little colorful bird.

When the Sichuan earthquake struck on May 12, 2008, I was devastated - worrying about my parents, my sisters, my niece and other people as well. I know how terrible earthquakes can be!

I was honored to be able to help the relief effort by participating in various televised events to raise funds for the Shanghai Charity Foundation. I was glad to share my love with the survivors of the earthquake, and I hope my Erhu music made them feel warm, loved, and safe. I was also happy that I was able to dedicate my Carnegie Weill Recital Hall concert to relief efforts as one way to send love and financial support to the survivors.

I have agents in both Europe and Japan. European audiences have a strong classical music background and open mind and deep understanding for my Erhu music. I have a strong connection with audiences there. In Japan the audiences are crazy about the Erhu sound, and also deeply understand my music – seeing it as the “sound of the soul.” I always leave my busy timetable open for Japanese concerts for a few weeks during June and July. The Japanese people come out in large numbers for my concerts, which I appreciate very much.

A few weeks ago I was in South Africa to do the research for my concert program“Erhu Holding Hands with the World, and to give some lecture performances. It was my first visit to South Africa and I was struck by the beauty of Cape Town, as well as by the elegance of Stellenbosch and the wine country. Musically, I was exposed to many different sounds, all of the highest quality. I was fascinated by their multi-cultural music and arts. They were equally fascinated by the sound of my Erhu as they never imagined that my instrument could sound so wonderful and evoke such strong emotions within. I made many friends in the music community, resulting in my doing an impromptu and unrehearsed recording (12 minutes pure Erhu solo, after poetry in both English and Chinese). It was quite a powerful experience, and I am confident that it will result in a powerful CD recording. I was very proud to be the first Erhu artist to share this music with the Africa people. Before leaving, I was interviewed by a popular radio station, which played some of my music as well. I was told that many listeners fell in love with Erhu music – once again!

I cannot end this newsletter without telling you one last bit of news. I have signed a contract with Christian Dior to be their new face in China. This is the first time that Dior selected an Asian woman, not to mention a traditional Chinese artist, to be their “poster child.” I think this is a good move for them, since Asian women are coming into their own and appreciate seeing one of their own in advertisements.

Presently I can be seen in several top fashion magazines like Vogue and Elle (China) launching Dior's new line of perfume "L'or de Vie." I am very excited by this. In the weeks ahead I will tell you more of my experiences as an Erhu artist, as the new face of Dior, and as a “world adventurer” musician.

I want to close by saying thank you to my darling Erhu, which opens the world to me and makes me feel like I’m a beloved daughter of the world. The Erhu is my ticket to travel around the world, and to be like a bridge across the cultures - connecting with people everywhere. To me, the Erhu is part of my body and soul.

I know as the first newsletter to you this is too long, but I so want to begin by sharing these stories with you. This way you can get to know who I really am. After this my newsletters will be much shorter.

I love my Erhu, I have passion for sharing Erhu music around the world, and I hope you will fall in love with my Erhu music too.

Your friend:

Xiaohui Ma

My Goal: To bring beauty, warmth, peace, love and color to the world…… This is my heart, this is what I am all about……