In improvised music, Lan finds a common ground where her various trainings and influences can come together to create a new language. The sounds of the East and the West, contemporary and traditional, all enter and exit the canvas freely from time to time.

Lan has created a number of ensembles dedicated to perform improvised music, or using improvisation as one of the important approach for expression. Lan meets with musicians from different musical backgrounds through improvisation. These meetings have inspired many trips to study and perform different musical genres and traditions, and numerous collaborations at home and aboard, include the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, India, Egypt…etc. She also introduces improvisation to classically trained musicians/ensembles to enrigh the repertoire. 

Modern Chinese music training is largely based on western classical schools. Through improvisation, Lan finds it satisfying to seek the spontaneity lost in westernization and to experiment with extended techniques. She enjoys the freedom to step outside traditional aesthetics to explore new possibilities. At the same time, she takes inspiration from Asian music in a contemporary framework. The two worlds continue to meet, interact and transform into each other in various ways in her musical experiences.

B) Collabortion with Ensembles
Lan Tung improvises as a soloist with different ensembles. While the ensembles may perform composed materials, Lan Tung’s parts are completely improvised.  

with Turning Point Ensemble
Lan Tung 董籃 – erhu 二胡 & vocal soloist
Owen Underhill – conductor
Peripheral Visions composed by Tim Brady

with Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra
Lan Tung 董籃 – erhu 二胡 & vocal soloist
Chih Sheng Chen – conductor
Ba Ban Variations composed by Lan Tung

C) Collaboration with Individuals
Lan Tung collborates with improvisers from around the world. These are all unrehearsed free improvisation. In some occasions, the videos captured the first time these musicians have played together.

Paul Plimley – piano & guitar, Lan Tung erhu & vocal, Li Tung 董籬 – visual arts, Shih-Yang Lee 李世揚 – piano, 2016 Sound of Dragon Music Festival, Vancouver

Paul Plimley – conductor, Lan Tung erhu & vocal, Li Tung 董籬 – visual arts, Shih-Yang Lee 李世揚 – piano, Sammy Chien (dance), Finn Manniche (cello), Chun De Liu (dance), Shao Huan Hung (sheng), Klaus Bru (saxophone), Jonathan Bernard (percussion); 2016 Sound of Dragon Music Festival, Vancouver

Ig Henneman－ viola, 中提琴
Anne La Berge － flutes, 長笛
Naomi Sato － sho (Japanese mouth organ)  日本笙

Fengxia Xu – zheng, sanxian, vocal; , Lan Tung – erhu

Franziska Welti – vocal, Lan Tung – erhu

Navid Navad – realtime sound instruments, , Lan Tung – erhu & vocal

Charity Chan – accordion,  Michel F Cote – percussion, , Lan Tung – erhu