Nobody wields a pipa like Wu Man, the reigning virtuoso on the ancient four-stringed instrument. Almost single-handedly, she has raised awareness of the pipa — sometimes called the Chinese lute — in the West through her collaborations with a broad range of musicians, from Kronos Quartet and Philip Glass to the New York Philharmonic and Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble.

Cradling her pipa, Wu Man holds 2,000 years of Chinese history in her hands. When her fingers start to fly, she can create scenes of cinematic grandeur or serene, moonlit moments.

Blues guitarist Robert Johnson died in 1938 when he was just 27 years old. He recorded only twenty-nine songs during his lifetime and achieved only modest success in record sales and fame. While he influenced other blues musicians like Muddy Waters and Elmore James, it was thirty years after his death when his music would make its most profound impact. Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Z.Z. Top, Bonnie Rait, Led Zeppelin and countless other rock and roll musicians owe a huge debt to Robert Johnson.