Global Voices interviewed OneBeat 11 Alumni Tsendsuren Enkhtur, a Mongolian musician of the string instrument called a “khuuchir.” Tsendsuren Enkhtur is a virtuoso khuuchir (a Mongolian traditional instrument) player based in Ulaanbaatar. Raised in a musical family, she began learning khuuchir at age 12, studying at the State Conservatory of Mongolia and continuing her masters degree at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. As an artist, Tsendsuren works to write music that celebrates traditional Mongolian music and to educate those who are unfamiliar with its ancestries and legacies.
In her interview with Global Voices she explains “Bridging the musical heritages of the khuuchir and the erhu has been a fascinating and enriching experience. Although these instruments share similarities — both being part of the huqin family and played with a bow — the khuuchir and erhu have distinct musical repertoires and playing techniques. Historically, the khuuchir was adapted to use many elements typical of the Chinese erhu since the 1990s when Mongolia began importing them from China. This adaptation made the transition to learning the erhu’s repertoire more accessible.”
