The Composer Yang Jing 楊靜 is also a world-renowned Pipa virtuoso.
Ms. Yang maintains an extensive performance schedule throughout Asia, Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East, bringing a mixture of musical styles and cultures to the stage. Combining her love for the millennia-old tradition of Chinese music with an innovative spirit of exploration, Yang Jing builds on a vast amalgam of musical history from both Asian and Western traditions to create a musical experience that transcends boundaries.
She is equally comfortable whether performing solo concerts, chamber music or concertos, and frequently appears in jazz and improvisatory settings as well. From the Golden Hall in Vienna to the Barbican Centre in London, from New York's Carnegie Hall to Tokyo's New National Theatre, from the community Hall in Shropshire UK that bears her name to the Lucerne Culture and Congress Hall in Switzerland, from Jerusalem Concert Hall in Israel to the Beijing Concert Hall in China: audiences have experienced her distinct mix of virtuosity and lyricism, tradition and innovation.
Ms. Yang also worked as a guest tutor for master classes and semester courses at many universities in the United States, Asia and Europe during 1996 to 2010.
Her musical training started at the age of 6, playing pipa, sometimes also called the Chinese lute. In 1976 she went to the Henan opera music school at age of 12. Two years later she was chosen to work at the opera ensemble in Henan. A 1986 graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she undertook four years Chinese traditional music composition studies with Hu Dengtiao; two years traditional music research and Guqin study with Lin Youren and four years pipa study with Ye Xuran. From 1986 she worked 12 years as the pipa soloist of the China National Traditional Orchestra in Beijing. During this time, she studied from old pipa masters Lin Shicheng and Wang Fandi in Beijing.
In 1996 Yang Jing received grants from the Japan International Artists Exchange Scholarship funds and made two years composition master study with Minoru Miki in Tokyo. Since 1998 she co-operated with Japan Arts Co. and Minoru Miki to expanding her career as an active soloist worldwide. Since 2003 until today she based her home in Switzerland. 2015 she received the Master in Composition and Theory from the Berne University of the Arts, with courses from Daniel Glaus (Contemporary Music Composition & Orchestra Instrumentation), Xavier Dayer (Master Composer's Colloquium & Programs), Thomas Gartmann (Research), Frank Sikora (Jazz Harmony Theory & Composition), Django Bats (Jazz Composition and Practise), Klaus Wagenleiter (Pop & Big Band) among others.
In the late 1990s she started to play improvised music, in duos with drummers Pierre Favre and Max Roach as well as with saxophonist Arnie Lawrence. Since 2003 she explores widely improvisations not only in solo, especially interested to combine her Chinese instruments with western instruments and modern Jazz bands, such as in Jazz 4tet's "Different Song" and in different trios and duos with great Jazz musicians. Some of the results are documented on CDs and Videos.
Simultaneously Yang Jing is soloist in classical ensembles and orchestras. In 2002 she won the "Traditional Music Contribution" price with the Tokyo-based groups "Yang Jing and Yui Ensemble" at the International Chamber Music Competition in Osaka, Japan. "Yang Jing and The Lucern Festival Strings" was invited to play at the Opening of Creative Week in WEF at Davos 2019.
As a soloist, Yang Jing inspired composers from different culture background to compose for pipa. She premiered many Pipa Concertos with different orchestras which were composed for her. For example, she has premiered Julian Fillips' "Formal Introductions" with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales with the conductor Grant Llewellyn at the BBC's Last Night Proms in the Park 1999; 1997 premiered Minoru Miki's "Pipa Concerto" in three movements with in the Asia Orchestra Version during the tour in Asian countries with conductor Park Bum Hoon; in 1999 premiered the symphony orchestra version with Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra at Suntory Hall Tokyo with conductor Naoto Otomo; 2007 premiered Thüring Bräm's "Concerto for Pipa and Orchestra" at KKL Lucerne Switzerland. Mo Fan's "Ballad of the Eternal Sorrow" in Tokyo and USA, Wen Deqing's "Spring, River and Flowers on a Moonlit Night" for pipa and chamber orchestra with Collegium Novum Zürich with conductor William Blank at the Tonhalle Zürich; Tan Dun's "Music for Pipa and String Orchestra'"; Minoru Miki's "Pipa Concertos" with hr-Sinfonieorchester, Germany, China Philharmonic Orchestra Beijing with conductor Muhai Tang, Minoru Miki's "Memory of the Earth" with Yomiuri Nippon Orchestra with conductor Kurt Masur, Bekmambetov's "Through the Balkans with Pipa", Daniel Schnyder's "Mozart in China" with the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, Moscow with conductor Misha Rachlevsky and with Daniel Schnyder in New York.
From 2005 until 2010 Yang Jing premiered annually new compositions at the Hokuto International Music Festival in Japan. She took the musical important role in Minoru Miki's Opera "Aien", which has been premiered in Tokyo's new National Theatre 2006 and Heidelberg Opera Theatre 2009. 2012 she premiered Pipa Music by American Composers among many others. 2003 she published "Yang Jing Pipa Music", a composition score book with CD, in China and 2009 in Switzerland.
Yang Jing won the Chinese National Pipa Performing Prize in Beijing 1989 by playing the ancient piece in her performing score "Ambush from Ten Sides" and the Composition Price for her composition "Nine Jade Chains". Since 1983 her compositions for pipa such as "Nine Jade Chains", "Dance Along the Old Silk Road", "Disclosure", "Geyser" not only won the composition prize, but also have been performed throughout America, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. 2004 her work "Dance Along the Old Silk Road" was chosen as a compulsory piece for the China National Pipa Competition.
As a composer, Yang Jing writes music for western orchestras and ensembles (including Big Band and Jazz ensembles) as well as for traditional Chinese and Asia instrumental ensembles. Outstanding are her compositions for mixed western and Asian instrumental ensembles, but also music for choir, theatre, documentary films, multi-media and sound installations.
Liste des oeuvres
Nine Jade Chains (1983)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 4' 32" Manuscrit
Disclosure (1984)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 5' 33" Manuscrit
Dance along the Old Silk Road (1993)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 8' 00" Manuscrit
The King of Xi Chu Dynasty (1996)
Instrumentation: Trio for Pipa, Guzheng and Daruan (or Yangqin)
Durée: 10' 42" Manuscrit
Geyser (2000)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 5' 21" Manuscrit
Lotus Ballad (2000)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 7' 02" Manuscrit
O-Sake (2001)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 4' 01" Manuscrit
Severed Dream of Dunhuang (2001)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 8' 12" Manuscrit
Lost City (2002)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 6' 03" Manuscrit
Wanting (2002)
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 7' 25" Manuscrit
Winter in Moscow (2005)
Instrumentation: Pipa with String Orchestra
Durée: 8' 10" Manuscrit
Love Song (2005)
After Chinese Folk tune
Instrumentation: Marimba, pipa, violin and cello
Durée: 3' 45" Manuscrit
Ancient Grave/Guanyin HomeTown (2005)
Music for DOC. Film
Tokyo Documentry Film Product Co. Ltd
1. Vivo_ Hahnenkampf in Peking
2. Accarezzevole_
Am Wasser
3. Intenso_
Beim Abschied
4. a Quattro_
Orient express
5. Liberamente_
eine einsame Seele
6. Gradevole_
Ein zwinkerndes Auge für Mozart
Durée: 21' 00" Manuscrit
Qingxu Street No. 48 (2007)
Instrumentation: Bass, pipa, piano and drum
Durée: 9' 00" Manuscrit
Festival Overture (2007)
For HIMF 2007
Instrumentation: Pipa Solo
Durée: 3' 00" Manuscrit
Hidden Face of the Moon (2008)
Instrumentation: For Pipa and Male Choir
Texte: Jean-Pierre Voiret
In Five movements:
1. Oriens Extremus
2. Middle Kingdom
3. Shanshui
4. Exotics
5. Li Bai
Durée: 20' 00" Manuscrit
River – our Mother (2008)
Instrumentation: Shakuhachi, Matouqin, Sanxian, Koto, Pipa, Cello and percussion ensemble
Erzählungen vom Fluss ist ein 15 ganzes Konzert-Programm,
geschrieben für ein sechsköpfiges Ensemble:
Flöte, Klarinette, Klavier, Schlagzeug, Violine und Violoncello. Dazu wird es noch etwas 'Siebtes', geben: eine Klanginstallation.
When I was looking at the old painting "Totentanz" (Dance of Death) in Bern in Switzerland, I thought that despite so many differences between East and West traditions, religions and cultures, there are such profound similarities in the depths of the human mind! In 2020, the year of the White Mouse, the unseen Reaper is active all over the world and it is difficult to avoid it. Life and death, this eternal theme since ancient time haunts us today and tomorrow, in life and in arts.
This is an unusual concerto. Instead of regular orchestra instruments it uses natural materials like paper in different forms to produce different levels of tone colours, rhythms and musical articulations to support and contrast the solo cello. The white paper is an indispensable material and colour in the ceremony of Chinese people to hold the memorial ceremony for the dead. It has occupied irreplaceable symbolism and a strong sense of ritual in people's hearts from ancient time to the present.
In this piece of music, the ensemble creates different tones from strong, eruption sounds to euphemistic voices by beating, tearing or strongly vibrating the paper instruments to broaden and tightly support the solo cello. The unconventional instrumental combination used in the concerto changes the contrast between sound and tone. It brings unpredictable soundscapes. This adds a mysterious, even magical note to the music and fills it with tension.
The cello part contains strongly dynamic sections as well as the inner reflection singing sections. It brings two parallel melodies together and emphasizes the change of timbre in the operation of a single line, that forms up a multi-dimensional acoustic state of itself. It reflects the unstoppable dynamics and omnipotent divine power of the god of death.
Grim Reaper tore the hearts of those who lost loved ones. It took life away lightly like if it were a piece of paper. It left the helplessness of people and the sorrow of losing loved ones, and the silent prayer to bless the deceased: Let‘s pray that the souls of all people who became victims of the virus will rest in peace!
Instrumentation: Soprano Flute/Piccolo (Paper + Paper Roll) Bass Clarinet Bb (Paper + Paper Roll) Piano + Nylon string or fishing string for bowing Glass soft Tree branch Violin (Paper + Paper Roll) Cello (Paper + Paper Roll) Percussion (one player): Bass Drum (or CN big Drum) Cymbals Metal Board Little Tibet metal temple bowls 8 (pieces in micro Tone) Big Gong + little river Stone Shell Chain Cello Bow Stick Vibraslap
Instrumentation: Flute/Piccolo Flute Oboe Cor Anglais Clarinet Bb Bass Clarinet Bb Bassoon Horn F 2 Trumpet C Trombone Bass Trombone Percussions 3 players Harp Strings
Yang Jing: Sinfonie «Alpen im Fluss Aare»
Höre
das Wasser fliessen im Fluss der Aare und das Tosen der Wasserfälle in den Schluchten im Tal
Höre
die Kuhglocken auf den Hügeln, das melodiöse Singen und fröhliche Tanzen der Einheimischen
Sieh
den Berg mit den gekräuselten Wolken sich in der Aare spiegeln; in der Schweiz im
Moment, der blaue Himmel mit angenehmer Brise, überall malerisch
Sieh
die Gletscher in den Alpen verschwinden; auf der ganzen Welt verbrauchen Menschen
übermässige Ressourcen der Erde
Dieses Musikstück entstand in der Hoffnung, dass Sie es geniessen und seinem Aufruf folgen werden:
Bitte ergreifen Sie die Initiative, unsere wunderschöne Naturwelt zu schützen.
Bitte lassen Sie die Umwelt nicht das Gleichgewicht verlieren!
?"Erzählungen vom Fluss?" ist ein ganzes Konzert-Programm, geschrieben für ein sechsköpfiges Ensemble: Flöte, Klarinette, Klavier, Schlagzeug, Violine und Violoncello. Dazu wird es das sogenannte 'Nichts' geben: eine Klanginstallation. Seit 2020 erweiterte ich dieses Konzert mit neuen Stücken und erstellt verschiedene Konzertprogramm- Kombinationen.