Guitarist Xuefei Yang will display her extraordinary command on the instrument with her great stage presence, in a solo guitar concert on Saturday, Jan. 25, 7p, in Holsclaw Hall.
“Feisty virtuosity, impeccable technique and sensitive musicianship”
– New York Times
Xuefei Yang’s fascinating journey began after the Cultural Revolution, a period where Western musical instruments & music were banned. Xuefei was the first-ever guitarist in China to enter a music school, & became the first internationally recognized Chinese guitarist on the world stage. Her first public appearance was at the age of ten and received such acclaim that the Spanish Ambassador in China 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 Conservatoire especially for her and other advanced students.
Tickets
General Admission, $35
Guitar Society Members, $30
Students, $10
Buy Tickets
The program is based on Xuefei’s ‘X Culture‘ recording, which was named as a top 25 recording of 2023 by ArtMuseLondon. It is a tribute to diversity, and a testament to the creativity that flows from openness to other cultures. The program celebrates music of a particular culture. It includes music from the Orient performed on a western instrument – the guitar; and in many pieces, composers explore musical cultures other than their own. The result is a collection of music that is both moving and insightful.
Program
Chinese traditional (arr. Xuefei Yang) – A Moonlit Night on the Spring River
Chinese traditional (arr. Xuefei Yang) – White Snow in Spring Sunlight
Steve Goss – Chinese Garden (written for Xuefei Yang):
> Jasmine Flower
> Blue Orchid
> Red Flowers Blooming all over the Mountain
Welsh composer, Chinese inspiration
Tan Dun – Seven Desires (selection)
Chinese composer, Spanish flamenco inspiration
Carlo Domeniconi : Koyunbaba
Italian composer, Turkish inspiration
INTERVAL
Leo Brouwer – Hika : In Memoriam Toru Takemitsu
Cuban composer, Japanese inspiration
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Japanese composer, western cinema inspiration
Changjun Xu – Sword dance
Mark Houghton – Dance of the Orient (composed for Xuefei Yang)
English composer, Oriental inspiration
Nikita Koshkin – Usher Waltz
Russian composer, American literature inspiration
Jiří Jirmal – Baden Jazz Suite
Czechian composer, Brazilian inspiration
