Turkish harpist Şirin Pancaroğlu has been appointed to three positions related to the cultural heritage of the Chinese harp and other harp-like instruments. Pancaroğlu has been appointed Executive Vice President of the International Harp-Related Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Safeguarding Association. She received the appointment during her visit to the Henan province of China for the association’s symposium. According to a press release, the association exists to protect and promote the cultural heritage of harp-related instruments around the world. Its founding president is Lu Lu, a virtuoso of the Chinese harp (the konghou).
In addition, Pancaroğlu has been appointed as an advisor to the Jiuding Harp-Related ICH Museum in Xinxiang, the home of the angular harp in China. Pancaroğlu says she is looking forward to contributing to the world of lesser-known historical harps and to sharing their beauty with greater audiences around the world. As advisor, she will have the opportunity to bring her experience in the revival of the Turco-Ottoman harp, the çeng, to new horizons, following the path of the ancient çeng through the Silk Road along with its family of harp-like instruments in diverse cultures and musical traditions.
Pancaroğlu has also received the honor of being chosen and nominated by the Xinxiang Municipal Culture, Radio & Television and Tourism Bureau as an Envoy for International Cultural Exchange of the Chinese Harp. She says of her nominations, “This vast geography that one tiny angular harp embraced, named çeng in Türkiye and konghou in China, unites us all. This is a great honor for me and a huge source of motivation bringing the beauty of ancient harps to the foreground. And I could not stress enough the importance for each and every musician to also work with a historical instrument. To me, it brought dimensions nothing else could musically.”
Check out our cover interview with Pancaroğlu in the November-December 2021 issue of Harp Column. Learn more about Pancaroğlu on her website. Visit the Turkish Harp project website to learn more about her work with the çeng.
