Her task in the ensemble was mainly to perform traditional guzheng repertory such as The General's Command and Ambushes from Ten Sides.
However, she was bored by playing these tunes all the time, and began to look for new music languages.
After listening to all kinds of crossover music from around the world, Chang started to do it herself. She recorded for films such as Zhang Yimou's Hawthorn Tree Forever and Wong Kar-wai's Ashes of Time, and composed for dance works of avant-garde choreographers such as Wang Yuanyuan and Shen Peiyi. In 2010, she founded a new ensemble that consists of both guzheng and Western instruments, like violin and piano.
"There are enough people who play traditional guzheng works," she says. "I want to do something different."
At Chang's concert on June 9, she will perform with cellist Song Zhao, violinist Jin Haiyin, and percussionist Wang Jianan. All the works are composed by Chang and her husband Qi Gang.
The concert will be divided into three parts, named after three Chinese characters pronounced as "jing" - but with different meanings. The first part is "serenity", which tries to calm down the concertgoers, who have just arrived from work.
"I have been trying to play guzheng to cultivate my mind, and I hope the audience will do the same with me," Chang says.
The second part is titled "mirror" to imply the reflection of listeners in music. The third part is titled "horizon", which indicates the effect that guzheng music will have on the audiences.
Special lighting will help to add to the atmosphere and offer a unique experience for the audience. Chang believes every concertgoer will have his or her own feeling about the music, but she hopes everybody will have an inner dialogue with the music.
Chang will not only play the guzheng, but also sing at the concert. Among her vocal works is Flying of the Falling Flowers, a tune she composes with the inspiration of Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet Li Yu.
Besides performing, Chang works to promote guzheng internationally. One of her students is Princess Chulabhorn Walailak of Thailand, whom she meets every three months, in China, Thailand or elsewhere in the world.
"I hope guzheng will not only be a Chinese instrument, but also enjoyed by the whole world," she says.
White angels in Chongqing South West Hospital
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