Zeng Chengwei is a Chinese

Han Chinese

Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...

 musician

Musician

A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....

 of the guqin

Guqin

The guqin is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family...

, born in the Sichuan

Sichuan

' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...

 province of China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

. He is a sixth-generation transmitter (counting from Zhang Kongshan) of the Shu school of qin music, having studied with his maternal grandfather, Yu Shaoze. Zeng is also a gifted maker of the instrument.

Style

Zeng's style is fluid and yet restrained, focusing on simplicity and roundness. His melodies are often meditative and removed. Very little ornamentation is used or used sparingly to add to the flavour of the pieces he plays. On the other hand, his rendition of Liu Shui is very vigorous and intensive, unlike modern renditions as he imitates the sound of full bodied water churning.

Qin making

Zeng has many years of experience as a qin maker. The instruments he makes are notable for their ease of playing and consistency. The strings are close to the surface yet there is no buzzing (this is caused mostly by strings vibrating against the surface). The slope towards the bridge is steeper than general qins and the instrument is louds. The tone is sweeter and more rounded.

His qins are mostly made in the standard zhongni (Confucian) shape and are unadorned. The main focus on his qins are playability and sound above appearance.

His patronage

Patronage

Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows to another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings or popes have provided to musicians, painters, and sculptors...

 is Prof. Li Xiangting

Li Xiangting

Prof. Li Xiangting is considered one of the master players of the guqin. He was born in Liaoyuan, Jilin in 1940. At an early point he became interested in the guqin and studied under Zha Fuxi. He entered the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China in 1958, graduated in 1963 and would later...

, who praised his qin making skills, comparing them to the Tang dynasty maker, Lei Wei. He is quoted in Zeng's CD (translated by Yip Mingmei): "[His qins] are of top quality, with antique form based on a high standard."

Recordings

Zeng has one recording on an album published by HUGO; Shu (Sichuan) Qin Music (Vol.3). It contains most of his repertoire and includes pieces transmitted to him as well as his own transcriptions. In the sleeve notes, Yip Mingmei describes his playing as "smooth but not decorated, energetic but not forced, his touch is firm and the tone color emitted is full and bright. His harmonious and balanced playing inclines toward the Confucian ideal of the middle way. [...] His fingerings are clean and pure, and his rhythm clear and precise."