Q&A with musician Karen Han

June 26, 8:24 PMLA Asian American Movie ExaminerEd Moy

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Karen Han with Kathryn Bigelow.  Photo courtesy of Karen Han.

You've probably heard her music in the movies.

She's performed on the soundtracks of hit movies such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Mulan 2, Anna and the King, The Joy Luck Club, The Passion of the Christ, Kung Fu Panda, The Forbidden Kingdom and Star Trek. 

Her name is Karen Han, an acknowledged Erhu virtuoso, composer, and vocalist, who performs on the soundtrack for the upcoming movie The Hurt Locker.

Han is internationally renowned for playing the Er-Hu, a classical Chinese instrument with two strings having all of the tonal qualities of the violin. She has performed for foreign dignitaries, and has played in many concerts throughout the world. Her recording accomplishments include Oscar winning movies, television, radio programs, and seven albums.

She will perform live at The Arclight Theater in Hollywood on Saturday June 27 prior to the 4:40 pm screening of  The Hurt Locker.  Click the following link for more details:  www.arclightcinemas.com/ArcLight/faces/Home.jsp

How did you get involved with performing on the soundtrack for The Hurt Locker?

My husband, Paul Ottosson, is the Supervisor of Sound and Sound Designer [on the movie].  He was also in charge of parts of the [sound] mixing for The Hurt Locker.  One day, he introduced me [at my concert] to the director Ms. Bigelow.  She enjoyed the sound of Erhu and later introduced me to Mr. Marco Beltrami, who [scored the music for the movie] 3:10 to Yuma.  So he liked and composed some music for me.

What kind of mood did you create with your music in the movie?

In this film, the director Kathyrn Bigelow liked the raw music style and [wanted it to be more mixed with the scene].

Did you talk with director Kathyrn Bigelow about how she wanted your music performance to be utilized in the movie?

I tried different tones of Erhus... and we finally liked the way that was not too Chinese, in other words, less vibrato and slides.

Were there specific sequences or moments in the movie that are memorable for you?

Erhu has a really unique sound... most of the time when I record soundtracks, its always representing some deeper feelings of the characters.  Like in Star Trek, the Erhu represents the emotion of Spock, in Kung Fu Panda, the Erhu represents the turtle shifu, and in The Hurt Locker, Erhu comes out when some touching moment comes...

Do you think your music affects those sequences in the movie?

I hopes so...but in another way, music is working for the movies, so if you can't really hear it, that means we were successful.

What's your next project?

I have just recorded a soundtrack for Sony's new video game Uncharted 2 with composer Greg Edmondon, and a short recording for the upcoming film 2012.

For more about Karen Han, please visit her website at:  www.karenhan.com