Yang Xuefei

Beijing-born, United Kingdom-based, Yang Xuefei is acclaimed as one of the world’s finest classical guitarists.  Born following the Cultural Revolution, an era where Western music and instruments were banned, she was the first guitarist in mainland China to enter a music school, and became the first to launch an international professional career.

Fei’s first public appearance was at the age of ten and received such acclaim that the Spanish Ambassador in China immediately presented her with a concert guitar.  Her debut in Madrid at the age of 14 was attended by the composer Joaquín Rodrigo and, when John Williams heard her play, he gave two of his own instruments to Beijing’s Central Conservatory especially for her and other advanced students.  She then went on to become the first Chinese student to be awarded a full postgraduate scholarship to study at London’s Royal Academy of Music

Fei enjoys a truly international career, performing worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician and with leading orchestras.   Her success has led her to be invited to many prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, all Southbank venues, and Royal Albert Hall in London, as well as the Philharmonie Berlin, Musikhalle Hamburg, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Konzerthaus Vienna, Auditorio Nacional de Espana, Lincoln Center New York and the Herbst Theatre San Francisco.  In Asia she has appeared in places including Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul, and gave the first guitar recital in Beijing National Center of Performing Arts.

During the 2011/12 season, Fei performs with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Barcelona Symphony, the Hallé Orchestra, China National Philharmonic and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra.  In recital she performs throughout North America in San Francisco, Weil Recital Hall New York, Calgary, Boston, Las Vegas, Dallas, Fort Worth, Vermont and Toronto.  In addition to solo recitals, Fei performs with the Elias String Quartet and gives duo recitals with cellist Wang Jian.  She collaborates with tenor Ian Bostridge in a recital at Wigmore Hall, London.

Fei records exclusively for EMI Classics.  Her debut album, ‘Romance de Amor’, won a gold disc in Hong Kong, and her second, ‘40 Degrees North’, was selected as ‘Editor’s Choice’ in Gramophone magazine.  Her third was a concerto album recorded with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Eiji Oue, featuring the music of Rodrigo’s Concerto de Aranjuez and a new Albeniz Concerto by Stephen Goss commissioned by EMI for Xuefei.  Xuefei’s fourth recording, featuring the music of J. S. Bach, is released by EMI in February 2012.

Fei has also appeared on numerous radio and television programmes including BBC Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’, the BBC Proms, a BBC documentary ‘The Story of Guitar’, and China Central Television, who made a biographical documentary on Fei.

Wang Jian

Wang Jian began to study the cello with his father when he was four.  While a student at the Shanghai Conservatory, he was featured in the celebrated documentary film From Mao to Mozart: Isaac Stern in China.  Mr Stern’s encouragement and support paved the way for him to go to the United States and in 1985 he entered the Yale School of Music under a special programme where he studied with the renowned cellist Aldo Parisot.  

During the 2011/12 season, Wang Jian’s concerto and chamber music engagements include performances in Los Angeles, Brussels, Taipei and Singapore.  Last season he made his debut with the London Symphony Orchestra and Kristjan Järvi and with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Louis Langrée.  He also returned to the Hong Kong Philharmonic and Swedish and Scottish Chamber Orchestras.  Jian’s many high profile performances in China have included playing for the President and opening the season for the China Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony and Macau Symphony Orchestras.  He has also played with the China National Orchestra, Hangzhou Symphony and performed the complete Bach Cello Suites at the National Center for Performing Arts in Beijing.

Wang Jian’s first professional engagement was in 1986, at New York’s Carnegie Hall.  Since then he has embarked on an international career, early highlights including concerts with the Mahler Youth Orchestra / Claudio Abbado and with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra / Riccardo Chailly (in Amsterdam and on tour in China).  He has also performed with many of the world’s other leading orchestras including Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Cleveland and Chicago Symphony; NHK Symphony, Zurich Tonhalle, Stockholm Philharmonic, Santa Cecilia, Orchestre de Paris, Hallé, Mahler Chamber and Camerata Salzburg. These concerts have been with many of the greatest conductors, such as Dudamel, Dutoit, Chung, Gilbert, Krivine, Sawallisch, Neeme Järvi, Eschenbach, Dausgaard, Wigglesworth and Harding.

Wang Jian has also performed at many festivals throughout the world, as both soloist and chamber musician. These have included Verbier in Switzerland, Miyazaki in Japan, Aldeburgh in the UK and Tanglewood and Mostly Mozart in the USA.  In 2008 Jian made his debut at the BBC Proms performing three of Bach’s Cello Suites.

Wang Jian has made many recordings with Deutsche Grammophon, ‘Reverie’ (arrangements for cello and guitar) and the Bach’s Cello Suites being his most recent releases.  He has also recorded a Baroque Album with the Camerata Salzburg, the Brahms’ Double Concerto with the Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado and Gil Shaham; the Haydn’s Concerti with the Gulbenkian Orchestra under Muhai Tang; Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time (with Chung, Shaham and Meyer) and Brahms, Mozart and Schumann chamber music with Pires and Dumay.  His instrument is graciously loaned to him by the family of the late Mr. Sau-Wing Lam.