The world fusion music group Ancient Future features master musicians from many traditions who work together in different ensemble configurations. This improvisatory collaboration between Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort and Shenshen Zhang showcases the beautiful tone colors of the Chinese pipa and scalloped fretboard guitar in traditional and contemporary arrangements.
Matthew Montfort is a pioneer of the scalloped fretboard guitar and is recognized as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists by DigitalDreamDoor.com, a curated "best of" site, along with such luminaries as Michael Hedges and Merle Travis. He has performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai. He has performed live on national radio and TV shows such as the Echoes Living Room Concerts on Public Radio International, and the Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC. He has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomenon Zakir Hussain and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui. Montfort wrote the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India, which has been used by many musicians to improve their rhythm skills.
A native of Wenzhou, China, Shenshen Zhang began playing the pipa at the age of nine. At thirteen, she auditioned and was accepted into the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where in 1992, she was awarded a Bachelor's Degree. In 2005, Ms. Zhang received Master's Degree in Musicology from Xiamen University. As an award-winning concert soloist, she performed and toured extensively throughout Asia and the U.S. Since making her home in SF Bay Area in 2006, Ms. Zhang has combined her lengthy performance career and her vast experience as an educator, preserving the musical heritage of China while also exploring other world cultures. From 2015–2017, Ms. Zhang taught in Stanford University as music instructor and conductor. In 2022, Ms. Zhang joined the Music Department at Santa Clara University as an applied instructor. She also has her own pipa studio in Silicon Valley where she teaches classical Chinese music. Her solo album, ‘Serenity,’ released in 2019, features a collection of traditional pipa masterpieces. Shenshen has been exploring new musical conversations with her ongoing live improvisations and collaborations with the pioneering world music ensemble Ancient Future, and world music artists group Common Sounds Ensemble. She also was selected to the Bay Area pilot program by American Composers Forum, and her original composition will be released early Spring in 2024 on the Innova recording label.