Sound Strokes Fuses Chinese Calligraphy and Scottish Rhythms at Edinburgh Fringe

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Performers Wan Xing, Gregor Black, and Eleanor Dunsdon will take the stage at theSpace @ Symposium Hall.

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Wan Xing will present Sound Strokes: A Harmonious Blend of Chinese and Scottish Music, Hong Kong Soul showcase, a fusion of Chinese and Scottish musical traditions that transform the art of Chinese calligraphy into sound. Performances will run Amphitheatre at theSpace @ Symposium Hall 8 – 15 Aug.

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Blending the soulful melodies and cultural depth of the ancient stringed Chinese instrument the zheng (Guzheng) with the vibrant driving rhythms of Scottish music, performers Wan Xing, Gregor Black and Eleanor Dunsdon take inspiration from Chinese calligraphy to explore the resonances between Eastern and Western traditions. Centered around the four classical elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Wind that shape the art form, the performance is visually elevated by Qiu Yangzi's painting Soil Remembers which utilises traditional photographic techniques to blur geographical and cultural boundaries. Sound Strokes invites the audience to experience the dynamism of Chinese calligraphy, brought to life through the shared lines, rhythm, and fluid balance of music and art.

Qiu Yangzi is a Chinese visual artist whose work centres on her experience of the philosophy of Shanshui. Her contemporary artwork Soil Remembers is a chromatography camera-less photography scroll on handmade paper accompanied by two gold leaf-gilded frames from the Art Nouveau period. Using traditional photographic techniques to blur geographical and cultural boundaries, it unveils the uniqueness and uncertainty inherent in the natural world. Yangzi's portfolio of work explores the relationship between humans and nature, focusing on the elements to examine themes of connection, time, and belonging, which have been exhibited at venues including The Photographers' Gallery in London and the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Composer and performer Wan Xing said, “If Waves of Tradition proved that our cultures could speak the same language, Sound Strokes - A harmonious blend of Chinese and Scottish Music uses that shared language to paint a massive, multi-sensory portrait of nature and human spirit. It is bolder, more abstract, and deeply conceptual''

Now in its fourth year at the Fringe, Hong Kong Soul is a contemporary platform that showcases the diversity and unique talents of Hong Kong artists. This year there are four shows: Gemini / Romantic 4:48am (The Neighbours' Neighbour), 7-16 August at 17.30 at DanceBase, Boom Boom Battle of the Big Bad Bosses 7-15 August at 16.30 at Space UK Symposium Hall, Departure Is My Homecoming 7-15 August at midday at Space on the Mile and Sound Strokes: A Harmonious Blend of Chinese and Scottish Music, 8-15 August at midday Space UK Symposium Hall.

Wan Xing is a Hong Kong-based guzheng artist, composer, and curator. Her work blends Chinese traditions with world, folk, and contemporary influences, redefining the guzheng's role in today's global music scene. In 2023, she was selected for Yo-Yo Ma's Silkroad Global Musician Workshop in Boston, where she collaborated with International Artists which inspired her 2025 Edinburgh Fringe show, Waves of Tradition: A New Horizon in Scottish-Chinese Music. Wan Xing has collaborated with the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and the Hong Kong Dance Company, and premiered new works by composer Law Wing-fai. She won the Best Performance Award at the Chinese Folk Instruments Competition (2002) and the Gold Award at the International Guzheng Competition (2011).

Harpist Eleanor Dunsdon and percussionist Gregor Black are a Glasgow-based duo exploring the boundaries of traditional music. The pair met during postgraduate studies at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in 2022, and have since woven jazz, folk, and classical influences into a distinctive sound built around harp, bodhrán, percussion, vocals, and electronics. Winners of the Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections and Purbeck Rising, they have also performed at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, Southport's Love Folk Festival, and on tour across the UK and Ireland. Named the UK Harp Association's Emerging Artists 2024, they continue to grow their profile internationally, and their debut EP Let No Man (2024) has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Scotland, BBC Radio Ulster, and RTÉ Radio 1.

Eleanor and Gregor bring fresh perspectives to traditional music, balancing innovation with deep respect for heritage and their collaboration with Wan Xing embodies their shared vision: to expand traditions, inspire cultural dialogue, and create connections that resonate with audiences worldwide. This is their second year performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe following 2025's acclaimed "Waves of Tradition".

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/scotland/article/SOUND-STROKES-to-Blend-Chinese-and-Scottish-Music-at-Edinburgh-Fringe-20260604)._