Yang Jing () (born 1963) is a Swiss-Chinese composer and concert

pipa The pipa, pípá, or p'i-p'a () is a traditional Chinese musical instrument, belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets rang ...

soloist.

Early life and education

Yang grew up in

Xuchang Xuchang (; postal: Hsuchang) is a prefecture-level city in central Henan province of China, province in Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the northwest, Kaifeng to the northeast, Zhoukou to the east, Luohe to the s ...

Henan province Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...

, China. According to Yang, she came from an educated family that was regarded with suspicion during the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

. Her mother worked in a hospital, and her father was an army officer. One of her grandfathers died in prison after being accused of counterrevolution. She started playing the

, the Chinese plucked lute, at the age of six. From 1976, at the age of 12, she started performing in an ensemble at the Henan Opera music school. From the age of 18, Yang studied at the

Shanghai Conservatory of Music The Shanghai Conservatory of Music () was founded on November 27, 1927, as the first music institution of higher education in China. Its teachers and students have won awards at home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name "the crad ...

, and graduated in 1986. In 1998, she went to Japan to study with composer

Minoru Miki Minoru Miki ( ja, 三木稔, 16 March 19308 December 2011) was a Japanese composer and artistic director, particularly known for his promotional activities in favor of Japanese (as well as Chinese and Korean) traditional instruments and some o ...

, as she started to explore contemporary music, and later performed and recorded pipa concertos by Miki with Japanese orchestras. In 2003, she moved to Switzerland to complete a master's degree at

University of the Arts Bern __NOTOC__ The University of the Arts Bern (german: Hochschule der Künste Bern) is an art school with locations in Bern and Biel/Bienne. It was created in 2003 from the merger of the University of Music and Theatre and the School of Design, Art and ...

Career

Yang became a pipa soloist with the China National Traditional Orchestra in 1986. In 1996, she started Qing Mei Jing Yue, billed as the first all-women traditional instrument quartet in China, including the

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-s ...

yangqin The trapezoidal yangqin () is a Chinese hammered dulcimer, likely derived from the Iranian santur or the European dulcimer. It used to be written with the characters 洋琴 (lit. "foreign zither"), but over time the first character changed ...

, and guzeheng, in addition to the pipa. In 1998, Yang began her collaboration with

Pierre Favre Peter Faber (french: Pierre Lefevre or Favre, la, Petrus Faver) (13 April 1506 – 1 August 1546) was a Jesuit priest and theologian, who was also a co-founder of the Society of Jesus, along with Ignatius of Loyola and Francis Xavier. Pope Fra ...

, a Swiss percussionist, after meeting him at the

Beijing Jazz Festival The Beijing Jazz Festival () is China's first and largest jazz festival. It was founded in 1993 by Udo Hoffmann, a German national living in China. The festival is hosted by the Beijing Midi School of Music and Beijing Midi Productions. The fes ...

. In 2000, they performed as a duo in Beijing and Shanghai, and recorded their first album together, ''Moments'', at a live concert. In 1999, Yang released the album ''Village in the Floods'', a unique recording of the pipa accompanied by piano, with pianist Arthur Mattli. The album was a fundraiser for Chinese flood victims.

Critical reception

Yang's 2012 album ''Elements: New Music for Pipa by American Composers'', recorded in Hawaii, received mixed reviews.

Notable compositions

* ''Dance Along the Old Silk Road'' * ''Nine Jade Chains'', inspired by the poem ''The Song of the Pipa Player'' by

Bai Juyi Bai Juyi (also Bo Juyi or Po Chü-i; ; 772–846), courtesy name Letian (樂天), was a renowned Chinese poet and Tang dynasty government official. Many of his poems concern his career or observations made about everyday life, including as g ...

* ''Geyser'', inspired by

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U.S. Congress with the Yellowston ...

Discography

* ''«Moments II»''

& Yang Jing 'Erzählungen 1 - 7' * ''«Segensfunken»'' 2021, Yang Jing music for Pipa * ''«A TRAVELLER'S CHANT at Mount Lu»'' 2017, Yang Jing music for Choir and Ensembles with Calmus Ensemble; European Chinese Ensemble Klanglogo Deutschland;

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...

(CD) * ''«Dancing on a Bridge»'' 2014, Yang Jing and Wolfgang Sieber; music for pipa and organ; Klanglogo Deutschland; NAXOS (CD) * ''«No. 9»'' Yang Jing and

Christy Doran Christy Doran (born 1949) is a jazz guitarist born in Dublin, Ireland, and raised in Lucerne, Switzerland. Doran founded OM with Fredy Studer, Urs Leimgruber, and Bobby Burri in the 1970s; this ensemble recorded for ECM. He and Studer also wo ...

; music for pipa, guqin and e-guitar;

Leo Records Leo Records is a British record company and label which releases jazz from Russian, American, and British musicians. It concentrates on free jazz. Leo Records was founded in 1979 by Leo Feigin (also known under his broadcasting name Aleksei Le ...

(CD). * ''«Elements»'' 2012, music for pipa by American composers,

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. See also * List of record la ...

(CD. * ''«Transitions»'' 2012, music for pipa, chamber orchestra and choir, Ars Braemia (CD). * ''«Step into the Future»''- 4tett ''Different Song» 2012, Jazz 4tett: Yang Jing, Pipa/Guqin; Michel Wintsch, Piano; Baenz Oester,Bass; Norbert Pfammatter, Drums/Percussion; Leo Records(CD). * ''«Live in Moscow»'' 2006, Yang Jing,

Daniel Schnyder Daniel Schnyder (born March 12, 1961 in Zurich) is a Swiss jazz reedist and composer of both jazz and classical music. Schnyder learned to play cello before saxophone. He attended Berklee College of Music and the Conservatory of Winterthur. H ...

, Eskender Bekmambetov; music for pipa and string ensemble with Chamber Orchestra at the

Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty, Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of th ...

, Moscow (CD). * ''«Two in One»'' 2006, Yang Jing and Pierre Favre music for pipa and percussion. InTakt Records (CD) * ''«Yang Jing & the Chamber Soloists Lucerne»'' 2005, Dan Dun, Minoru Miki, Daniel Schnyder; music for pipa and chamber ensemble (CD and DVD) * ''«Pipa and Pipes»'' 2005, Yang Jing and Wolfgang Sieber; music for pipa and organ. (DVD) * ''«Severed Dream of Dunhuang»'' 2004, Yang Jing pipa music. AMC Records (CD) * ''«Magic Moments»'' 2004, Yang Jing and

; music for pipa and percussion; Dingo Products (DVD) * ''«Asia Ensemble»'' 2004, Music from Asia; Traditional Musical instruments; Tokyo, (CD) * ''«Pipa Concerto»'' 2004,

; music for Pipa with

Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra The , also known as Tokyō (都響), is one of the representative symphony orchestras of Japan. The Orchestra was founded in 1965 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics (1964 Summer Olympics). Currently Kazushi O ...

; Camerata

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

(CD) * ''«Dance along the Old Silk Road»'' 2003 Yang Jing; pipa music, Dragon Music HK(CD) * ''«Moments»'' 2001, Yang Jing and

; music for pipa and percussion;

China Records China Records was a record label founded 1 October 1984 by Derek Green (music), Derek Green. Its top-selling artists were Art of Noise, Morcheeba and the The Levellers (band), Levellers. In 1986 and 1987, China Records releases were manufactu ...

(CD) * ''«Disclosure»'' 1999, Yang Jing; pipa music, China Records (CD) * ''«Evening Poem»'' 1999, Yang Jing and Others; Music for Chinese traditional instrumental quartet. China Records (CD) * ''«Village in the Floods»'' 1998, Yang Jing and Arthur Mattli; music for pipa and piano; China Records (CD) * ''«Send my passions in Red Beans»'' 1995, Yang Jing and Others; Music for Pipa with China National Traditional Orchestra and China Radio Orchestra (CD) * ''«Butterfly Dream»'' 1986, Yang Jing; pipa music collection HK cassette

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:YANG, Jing Pipa players Guqin players Swiss composers Swiss women composers Living people Year of birth uncertain

External links

Yang Jing
(official page)