# Yang Jing (composer)

Yang Jing (Chinese: 楊靜; pinyin: Yáng Jìng; born Dec.1963) is a Chinese born, Swiss composer and world-famous concert pipa soloist.

## Early life and education

Yang grew up in Xuchang in Henan province, China. According to Yang, she came from an educated family that was regarded with suspicion during the Cultural Revolution. Her mother worked in a hospital, and her father was an army officer. Her grandfather died in prison after being accused of counterrevolution.
She started playing the pipa, 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 Theater.
From the age of 18, Yang studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and graduated in 1986. In 1997, she went to Japan to study with composer Minoru Miki, as she started to explore contemporary music, and later performed and recorded pipa concertos by Miki with Japanese orchestras. She worked with Japanese traditional instrumental soloists. In 2003, she moved with her family to Switzerland and completed a Master's degree in Contemporary music Composition and Theory, Jazz Music and Theory at the Hochschule der Künste Bern.

## Career

Yang worked in the Henan Opera Theater in 1977. After graduating from Shanghai Conservatory became a pipa soloist with the China National Traditional Orchestra in 1986.
In 1986 her works for solo Pipa «Nine Jade Chains» Jiǔ lián yù (composed in 1983) and «Disclosure» (composed in 1984) both won the composition prize at the Shanghai Spring Festival. Yang, herself won the prize for the best solo performance on the pipa.
In 1996 Yang Jing's Compositions for Pipa and Pipa solo concert in Beijing Concert Hall with TV live. 1997, Premiere the Minoru Miki's 'Pipa Concerto' with Orchestra Asia; Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra. Mo Fan Pipa Concerto «Ballad of the Eternal Sorrow» in Japan & USA, among other concert tours with her works for Pipa.
In 1996, she started Qing Mei Jing Yue, billed as the first all-women traditional instrument quartet in China, including the erhu, yangqin, and guzeheng, in addition to the pipa.
1998, Yang began her collaboration with Pierre Favre, a Swiss percussionist, after meeting him at the Beijing Jazz Festival. In 2000, they performed as a duo in Beijing and Shanghai, and recorded their first album together, Moments, at a live concert. Yang Jing and her quartet premiere concerts in Ingolstadt, Deutschland.
Her solo recital 'Eastern Spirit – Yang Jing In Concert' toured the UK in 1998 and in 1999 she reopened a local cultural centre in Shropshire named after her: 'YANG JING'.
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.
Started Annual Japan Tour with Minoru Miki's «Asia Silk Road Ensemble»; Started the regular «Aisa Ensemble» activities.
2000 Pipa and Guqin joined Opera Miki Minoru «The Tale of Genji» product and premiere at Stifel Theatre St. Louis, MO, USA
Tour with jazz legends Arnie Lawrence Saxophone and Max Roach Drum in China and Israel.
2005 Started the annual Music Festival «Hokuto International Music Festival» in Japan, as the international artists' director.
Music for Pipa & Organ Project with Swiss Organist Wolfgang Sieber DVD «Yang Jing and Wolfgang Sieber: Pipa & Pipes Organpieces» CD «Dance on a Bridge»
Concert Tour in Switzerland, China, India, and Japan with 'Chamber soloists Lucerne'.
2006 in Opera «To Die for Love» premiere, New National Theater Tokyo, Japan, which featured Yang’s pipa solo, not only as the musical character, but the Role played on the centre of stage.
«Swiss Jazz Quintet» China Tour / Swiss Jazz Ensemble 4tett Different Song Asia & Europe Tour.
2007 Permere concerts of her East & West Ensemble
2009–2010 in Opera «To Die for Love», Heidelberger Opernzelt, Deutschland
2010 Her Ensemble Toured with the innovative new composition programs
2012 her music in Jazz formations, CD ‘No.9’ & ‘Steps into the Future’ with 4tett Different Song. She conducted and composed for a 11 Players Jazz Ensemble Concert (Youtube sample 'A letter to Mingus'), premiered in Kultur und Kongresshaus Aarau (KKA) CH,
After a successful international concert Pipa solo career, Yang turned to contemporary modernism, where her music draws from her concept of creating music by using different methods. Rooted in the millennium-old tradition of East and West music, she grows on a varied combination of musical history, which results in musical poems and sometimes powerful unheard-of sounds. The musical structures and sensory effects bear the characteristics of the composer, forming an integral part of 21st-century music.
From 2013 to 2023 YANG was invited to compose for new concerts series from different orchestras. She used Asian and European instruments, different human speaking languages and different musical styles, such as Jazz, Classical, Modern, Multimedia, Improvisations played by various chamber formations, choir, solos, often not only a single composition, but for a whole concert duration new programs. For example «Erzählungen vom Fluss» , «Singing Strings – Identity», Quintet «Der Grosse Wagen» in Fünf Sätzen, «Unter einem hellen Sternenhimmel», music for Choirs, Electro- Multimedia and live acoustic concert «Klingende Zeit»

## Publications (Sheet Music Books)

2009 Yang Jing Music For Pipa: Sheet Music For Pipa With Explanations Of The Playing Technique Marks Switzerland /2023 Second edition, Germany
2023 Book 1. Ein neuer Anfang: Singing Strings - YANG Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet / Y Music Switzerland Edition
2023 Book 2. Morning Song and Evening Poem: Singing Strings - Yang Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet Switzerland
2024 Book 3. Identity: Singing Strings - Yang Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet
2024 Book 4. Sunset over Northern Heights: Singing Strings - YANG Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet Y Music Switzerland Edition
2024 Book 5. The Silk Pipa Dance: Singing Strings – Yang Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet
2024 Book 6. Jade In Strings: Singing Strings – YANG Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet
2024 Book 7. Singing Strings – Heart Swing: Singing Strings – YANG Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet Y Music Switzerland Edition
2024 Book 8. Silk Bamboo Strings: Singing Strings – YANG Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet Y Music Switzerland Edition
2024 Book 9. Black Horse: Singing Strings – YANG Jing Music for Pipa and String Quartet
2023 String Trio 0 -1 – 2 – 3: Streichtrio Null – Eins – Zwei – Drei (YANG Jing Music for Festival Programs) Y Music Switzerland Edition
2024 'Yang Jing works for concert Pipa - Score and Sound' People's Music Publishing House, Digital Edition
1994 Composition «Qiu Ci Wu Qu» People’s publishing House, Beijing
Yang's 2024 album Singing Strings – Identity: Yang Jing Music for String Quartet and Pipa, recorded in Switzerland, by Lucerne Festival Strings Chamber Players German Radio SWR2 Treffpunkt Klassik
Yang's 2014 album Dancing on the Bridge Music for Pipa and Organ Yang Jing, Pipa and Wolfgang Sieber, Orgel
Yang's 2012 album Elements: New Music for Pipa by American Composers, recorded in Hawaii, received mixed reviews.

## Notable compositions

* «Unter einem hellen Sternenhimmel» (compositions for Ensemble Concert Programs 2007–2010) Yang Jing Music for modern music chamber orchestra concerts
* «Singing Strings – Identity» (compositions for Pipa and String concerts Programs 2016–2021) Yang Jing Music for String Quartet and Pipa Concerts
* «A Traveller’s Chant at Mount Lu» – Five mixed Voices and Pipa
* «Totentanz» – Cello Concerto in two movements
* «Erzählungen vom Fluss» '«Tales from the River» (2015) Music für flute, clarinet, piano, drums, violin, and cello, plus the so-called ‘nothing’: a sound installation.
Since 2020, the composer YANG Jing has been expanding this concert with new pieces and creating various concert program combinations.
* «klingende Zeit» – Live concert with multimedia. This 80-minute concert consists of 9 movements
* «Der Grosse Wagen»» in five movements (2014) YANG Jing Music for Soprano, Pipa, Flute, Cello, Marimba & Percussion
in Five movements: I. Der Anfang II. Ich will den Wind reiten III.Komme ich wirklich von dort? IV. Das ewige Rad V. Yin-Yang
* Pipa Concerto «Fire & Earth» (2014) YANG Jing Music for Pipa with orchestra
* «Hidden Face of the Moon» in five movements Lyric: Jean-Piere Voiret (2008) YANG Jing Music for Pipa with Male Choir
* Geyser (2000), inspired by Yellowstone National Park
* «Severed Dream of Dunhuang» (1999), inspired by Dunhuang Dunhuang Pipa Manuscript
* «Dance Along the Old Silk Road» (1993) won China National Chamber Music composition competition First Prize. It became the compulsory piece for the China National Pipa competition since 1994.
* «Disclosure» (1984), inspired by Dunhuang Dunhuang Pipa Manuscript won the new music composition prize in 1986 at Shanghai Spring Music Festival.
* «Nine Jade Chains» (1983), inspired by the poem The Song of the Pipa Player by Bai Juyi, won the new music composition prize in 1986 at Shanghai Spring Music Festival.

## Discography

* «Singing Strings – Identity» 2023 Yang Jing Music for String Quartet and Pipa Played by Yang Jing & Festival Strings Lucerne Chamber Players Neos CD
* «Peter's Easter Flower» 2023 Yang Jing Music for Pipa Y Music CD
* «Pipa Concerto – Mozart In China» 2023 Music for Pipa with orchestras written by Daniel Schnyder, Minoru Miki, Mo Fan Y Music CD
* «Jade Flute In Spring Night» 2023 Music for Trio Concert Y Music CD
* «Pipa Moment» 2023 YANG Jing Music for Pipa and classical Guitar Trio Y Music CD
* «Severed Dream of Dunhuang» Mèng duàn dūnhuáng 2023 Classical Pipa Music of YANG JingY Music CD
* «Moments II» 2023 Pierre Favre & Yang Jing 'Erzählungen 1 – 7' Y Music CD
* «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 (CD)
* «Dancing on a Bridge» 2014, Yang Jing and Wolfgang Sieber; music for pipa and organ; Klanglogo Deutschland; NAXOS (CD)
* «No. 9» 2012 Yang Jing and Christy Doran; music for pipa, guqin and e-guitar; Leo Records (CD).
* «Elements» 2012, music for pipa by American composers, Albany Records (CD.
* «Transitions» 2012, Thüring Bräm 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, Minoru Miki, Eskender Bekmambetov; music for pipa and string Orchestra(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, Tan 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 Pierre Favre; music for pipa and percussion; Dingo Products (DVD)
* «Asia Ensemble» 2004, Music from Asia; Traditional Musical instruments; Tokyo, (CD)
* «Pipa Concerto» 2004, Minoru Miki; music for Pipa with Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra; Camerata Tokyo (CD)
* «Dance along the Old Silk Road» 2003 Yang Jing; pipa music, Dragon Music HK(CD)
* «Moments» 2001, Yang Jing and Pierre Favre; music for pipa and percussion; (CD)
* «Disclosure» 1999, Yang Jing; pipa music, China Records (CD)
* «Evening Poem» 1999, Yang Jing, Yu Hongmei, Liu Yuening, and Fan Weiqing; 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 Orchestra and China Radio Orchestra (CD)
* «Butterfly Dream» 1986, Yang Jing; pipa music collection HK cassette