Xuefei Yang
Xuefei Yang is acclaimed as one of the world’s finest classical guitarists. Hailed as a musical pioneer, Xuefei was the first-ever guitarist in China to enter a music school and to attain the bachelor degree in guitar performance. She became the first internationally recognized Chinese guitarist on the world stage and one of the few classical guitarists signing with major international labels and agencies.
 
Born in Beijing, Xuefei started to learn guitar at the age of seven. She became an overnight success at the China International Guitar Festival when she was ten. After graduating from the Central Conservatory of Music, Xuefei became the first Chinese musician to receive a full scholarship for postgraduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she attained the top performance degree and received the Principal’s Prize on completion of her postgraduate study.
 
Her international success has led her to be invited to play in more than 50 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia and to numerous prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Philharmonie Berlin, Konzerthaus Vienna, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Sydney Opera House, etc. Xuefei was the soloist who gave the first guitar recital and concerto at the Beijing National Center of Performing Arts. In 2003 she performed 54 concerts for the “Night of the Proms” Tour, appearing in Europe, to a total audience of over 800,000 people. She is frequently invited to play with the world’s leading orchestras including English Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scotland National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de France and so forth. She is also regularly invited to hold master classes at conservatories around the world. From 2015, she has been honored to be the Artistic Director of Changsha International Guitar Festival.
 
Xuefei has released many albums including guitar solo, chamber music and concerto recordings on EMI and Decca labels. Her recording “Romance de Amor” received a gold disc and the recording “40 Degrees North” was selected as “Editor’s Choice” by Gramophone magazine. The “Rodrigo” first recorded the Albéniz Concerto written for her. “Bach Concertos” contains Bach's famous pieces arranged by Xuefei herself with an innovative combination of guitar and string quartet. “Heart Strings” and “Colours of Brazil” on Decca label reflect Xuefei’s interest and mastery in diverse music styles. In 2018, DG released the duet recording “Milonga del Angel” performed by Xuefei and violinist Mengla Huang. This year, her newly-released double album “Sketches of China” on Decca label displays the breadth and depth of Chinese music via a diversity of music styles, aiming to promote Chinese culture. It expands the guitar repertoire with the arrangement for musically significant pieces and the original works by the contemporary composers. The album has been widely reported and praised by professional media at home and abroad since it was released.
 
Xuefei’s stories and achievements have attracted media worldwide to interview her. She has appeared on the covers of numerous Chinese and foreign magazines, and on the TV programs in many countries, including Music and Life and Icon on China Central Television, and Celebrity Face to Face on Phoenix Satellite Television. Her music regularly appears on the radio programs around the world. Gramophone magazine praised Xuefei as one of the leading innovators of her generation for continuing to build the guitar repertoire.
 
She frequently collaborates with an eclectic range of artists: classical musicians such as Ian Bostridge, Jian Wang, Sir James Galway, Sumi Jo; cross-over artists such as David Garrett, Tommy Emmanuel, Jian Li, Leo Ku and Eason Chan, bringing the music of classical guitar to more people.
 
In recognition of her distinguished career, Xuefei was awarded the “Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Music” and the “Fellowship of Birmingham Conservatoire”. BBC Music Magazine named Xuefei as one of the world’s 6 top classical guitarists and Classic FM named her as one of the 100 top classical musicians of our time.
 

 

Di Xiao: Weiliang Zhang
Weiliang Zhang, famous performer for Di Xiao and Xun, educator and composer, professor of China Conservatory of Music, doctoral supervisor, Chairman of China Nationalities Orchestra Society – Professional Committee for Chinese Bamboo Flute, serves as successive Vice Chairmen of Beijing Musician’s Association, Deputy Director of Academic Committee of China Conservatory of Music, Director of Chinese Music Department of China Conservatory of Music, Standing Director of Chinese Musicians’ Association, and Deputy Director of National Music Committee. In 2015, Weiliang Zhang won the "First Prize of National Teaching Achievement" by the Ministry of Education and the “Teaching Master Award of High-level Innovative Talent” by Beijing Municipality. In 2014, he won the “First Prize of National Teaching Achievement” by the Ministry of Education. In 2011, he received the “Teaching Master Award” by Beijing Municipality. In 2010, he was awarded the honorary title of “Labor Model of Beijing City”, and the title of “Team Leader of Chinese National Instrument Teaching” by the Ministry of Education.
 
Weiliang has released such recordings as “A Treasury of the Xiao Tunes”, “Tears for Flowers”, “Dying Young”, “Dream after a Long Separation”, and has written more than 120 works. In 1987, he released the first Chinese Compact Disc “A Treasury of the Xiao Tunes”, which won the “China Gold Record Award”. His works have claimed numerous prizes in various domestic competitions, for instance, the work “Autumn Scenery” for Guzheng and electronic music won First Prize of CCTV “Xin Guang Award” in 2002; “Bamboo Dream” which was composed in 2003 won First Prize for Music Composition of National Dance Competition by the Ministry of Culture. In 2008, Weiliang served as the music composer for the opening ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games.
 
Weiliang has held three solo recitals at the Royal Concert Hall in the United Kingdom, and cooperated with the Lyon Electronic Music Center in France where they studied electronic music production. He has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in the United States, La Verdi in Italy, Wiener Musikverein, and the Philharmonie Luxembourg, appearing in dozens of countries in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. So far, Weiliang has published his monographs Study on the Art of Bamboo Flute and Tutorials on Chinese Bamboo Flute (Four Volumes). More than ten papers including "Perspective of the Development of Chinese Flute Music Culture", "Weiliang Zhang on Chinese Music Development", "Thoughts on the Reform of Art Schools" written by him were published on the national level journals.

 

 

Pipa: Ying Sun
Ying Sun, young Pipa performer, member of Pipa Committee of China Nationalities Orchestra Society, guest Pipa performer with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), entered Central Conservatory of Music Middle School in 2001, studying with Professor Guanghua Li and Professor Wei Fan. Ying completed her postgraduate studies in 2014.
 
Since 2012, Ying has collaborated with China NCPA Orchestra and served as Pipa soloist in NCPA’s original operas Red Guards on Honghu Lake, Sunrise, Visitors on the Icy Mountain, and The Fisherman and Golden Fish. The orchestras she has performed with include China NCPA Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra, and Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, etc. At the invitation of the Indonesian Embassy in China, Ying participated in the performance of "The Friendly Night of China and Indonesia"; and invited by the Singapore Embassy in China, she performed at the gala of “ASEAN-China Fair”. In 2009, she appeared as the only Pipa performer at "Melbourne International Arts Festival". In recent years, Ying has successfully held a number of solo recitals in Beijing, and has visited South Africa, Finland, Australia, Japan, and other countries and regions, continuously bringing Chinese traditional music and the tunes of Pipa to the world.
 
As a Pipa recording artist, Ying has recorded numerous soundtracks for films and TV series, such as Lady of the Dynasty, Eternal Love, Legend of the Demon Cat, The Empress of China, Bai Lu Yuan, Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace, The Story of Minglan, Serenade of Peaceful Joy, to mention but a few. She has also recorded for such TV programs as National Treasure, A Bite of China, Chinese Music, and Everlasting Classic on CCTV. From 2016 to 2018, Ying had performed as Pipa soloist at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala. She also recorded for the Pipa solo of Beijing eight-minute show at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
 

Program
 
Guitar Solo
Yao Dance                                                                            
Composed by Tieshan Liu, Yuan Mao/Arr. Xuefei Yang
Sliver Clouds Chasing the Moon                      
Arr. Xuefei Yang (based on the version by Jianzhong Wang)
Camel Bells Along the Silk Road                                                          
Composed by Yong Ning/Arr. Xuefei Yang
Butterfly Lovers (Excerpts)                                      
Composed by Zhanhao He, Gang Chen/Arr. Xuefei Yang
Sword Dance                                                                                         
Composed by Changjun Xu/Arr. Xuefei Yang
Gitaneria Arabesca                  
Composed by Nino Richardo
El Nuevo Dia           
Composed by Paco Pena
 
Duet with Xiao
A Moonlit Night on the Spring River                            
Chinese Traditional/Orchestrated by Weiliang Zhang
Hujia                                                                                         
Chinese Traditional/Orchestrated by Weiliang Zhang
 
Duet with Pipa
Three Variations on Plum Blossom                              
Chinese Traditional/Orchestrated by Weiliang Zhang
Romanian Folk Dances
Composed by Bartok
Solea por Buleria         
Composed by Benjamin Lim Yi
 
Trio with Xiao and Pipa
Fisherman’s Song by Moonlight 
Chinese Traditional
 
(Please check program updates at the concert.)