Guo Gan (; born November 15, 1968) is an

erhu The ''erhu'' (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, which may also be called a ''Southern Fiddle'', and is sometimes known in the Western world as the ''Chinese violin'' or a ''Chinese two- ...

master from Shenyang, China, now based in

Paris, France Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. Gan was recognized as a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2016. He is the world's first Chinese national folk musician’s recipient, and the world's first Chinese erhu performer to win the award.

Biography

Guo Gan started to learn the erhu at the age of four, and was taught by his father, Guo Junming, a famous erhu soloist. Guo Gan was fascinated by western instruments and rounded out his studies by taking up the violin, the cello and the piano while in secondary school (1981-1987). When he was sixteen, he accompanied his father on tour, playing more than 100 concerts in a presentation entitled “Duo for the two-stringed vielle”. In 1987 he entered the Shenyang Music Conservatory and in 1991 won a prize with honours for his work on the erhu. At the same time, he studied Chinese and Western percussion instruments and gave a jazz concert for percussion and piano. In 1992, he won first prize in the traditional-music competition in the Lioning Province, and in 1995, he was named professor of erhu and percussion at the Conservatory of Liaoning Province. The same year, he was one of the founders of a jazz group, GYQ, which is well known in China. Guo Gan moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, France, in 2000, and obtained a master's degree in percussion from the National Music School of Fresnes. In 2002, he was invited by

Gabriel Yared Gabriel Yared (Arabic: غبريال يارد; born 7 October 1949) is a Lebanese-French composer, best known for his work in French and American cinema. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Yared scored the French films ''Betty Blue'' and ''Camille Claud ...

to play in a recording of the music for the film “L’Idole”. He has played in nearly 3000 concerts and published more than 80 albums. He played with many of the world's most famous musician including

Lang Lang Lang Lang (; born 14 June 1982) is a Chinese pianist who has performed with leading orchestras in China, North America, Europe, and elsewhere. Active since the 1990s, he was the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, ...

, Yvan Cassar,

Didier Lockwood Didier Lockwood (11 February 1956 – 18 February 2018) was a French violinist. He played in the French rock band Magma in the 1970s, and was known for his use of electric amplification and his experimentation with different sounds on the electri ...

Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Oscars and four Grammys, and has been nominated for two Emmys and a Tony. Zimmer was also named on the list of Top 100 Living G ...

, Jean Francois Zygel,

, Nguyen Le and many others.

Discography

* Paris–Istanbul–Shanghai (with Joel Grare, 2008) * In One Take (with Fiona Sze, 2010) * Marco Polo (with Mathias Duplessy,

Enkhjargal Dandarvaanchig Enkhjargal Dandarvaanchig ( mn, Дандарваанчигийн Энхжаргал, born 1968, Ulaanbaatar), also known as Epi, is a Mongolian musician, overtone singer, and Morin khuur The ''morin khuur'' ( mn, морин хуур, morin khu ...

, Sabir Khan. 2010) * Jiangnan Sizhu Music (with Lingling Yu, 2011) * Scented Maiden (2012) * Nen Nen Sui Sui (with Mieko Miyazaki, 2012) * Jasmine Flower – Guo Gan Trio (2013) * Himalaya (2014) * The Kite (with Loup Barrow. 2015) * Crazy Horse (with Mathias Duplessy,

, Aliocha Regnard. 2015) * Peace In The World (with Aly Keita, 2016) * Moon Night (2018) * Gobi Desert – Guo Gan Trio (2019) * Saba Sounds (with Zoumana Tereta, Richard Bourreau. 2020) * Brothers of String (with Mathias Duplessy,

, Aliocha Regnard. 2020) * Guo Gan "Swordmen" Trio ( Guo Gan, Liu Yi Qing, Chen Jian ) 2022

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Guo, Gan Musicians from Shenyang Erhu players 1968 births Living people Chinese expatriates in France Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres