Boundless

Boundless is a visionary collaboration between two master musicians whose lives and art traverse continents, histories, and traditions: Chinese pipa soloist, vocalist, and composer Min Xiao-Fen, and Ukrainian bandurist, vocalist, and composer Julian Kytasty. Both artists are classically trained and profoundly shaped by their work with avant-garde guitar icon Derek Bailey, whose fearless approach to improvisation encouraged deep listening and creative dialogue across musical boundaries. The album is the second from Min Xiao-Fen on Anderson Audio NY at NativeDSD.  Following her earlier album White Lotus. Set for official release on April 17, 2026, it is available to NativeDSD Listeners a week early. In Boundless, Min and Kytasty weave centuries-old musical lineages into a strikingly contemporary sonic language—at once intimate, expansive, and deeply human. On its release date, Boundless will be premiered live at Lincoln Center, with a special performance at The David Rubenstein Atrium. Boundless is produced by Jim Anderson, multi–Grammy Award–winning recording engineer and immersive sound producer, with Ulrike Schwarz. A pioneering voice in experimental and intercultural music, Min Xiao-Fen is internationally celebrated for redefining the expressive possibilities of the pipa through extended techniques, improvisation, and vocal expression. Like much of her work, Boundless reflects themes of migration, memory, and cultural history, forging emotional connections between ancient Chinese traditions and modern global narratives. Min’s composition “Xi Xi, Cuo Cuo (Wash and Rub)” draws inspiration from the largely overlooked history of Chinese immigrants in the Mississippi Delta. “They lived there for over a century,” Min explains. “In the segregated South, they ran grocery stores and laundries that served both Black and white communities. My music reflects how they quietly bridged a divided world. Through my music, that bridge continues.” Julian Kytasty, one of the world’s foremost masters of the Ukrainian bandura, is renowned for his expansive approach to traditional repertoire, contemporary composition, and free improvisation. A central figure in the revival and evolution of the bandura, Kytasty has brought the instrument into new sonic territories while honoring its deep historical and cultural roots. Kytasty’s “Travel Music” features a rare bandura with a remarkable journey of its own. “It was crafted by Iosyp Shizhny, a pioneering performer who fled the USSR via Manchuria and settled in Shanghai,” Julian recounts. “He escaped China in 1948 and brought the instrument to Buenos Aires. I discovered it in 1987, brought it to New York—and it’s still going strong. I can’t wait to play it with Min.” For Min, Boundless also carries a deeply personal resonance. She recalls performing in Kyiv in 1988 as part of a cultural exchange—an experience that continues to echo through this collaboration. “Through this music, we continue that spirit of connection,” she says, “and send a prayer for peace in Ukraine and around the world.” More than an album title, Boundless is a journey across time, borders, and genres—a testament to music’s power to transcend division and imagine new forms of connection.

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Min Xiao-Fen, Composer, Vocals & Pipa Julian Kytasty, Composer, Banduri & Vocals