Chen Xiyao

Chen XiYao 陈希垚 (pronounced Chun She Yow) born 1984, is a Chinese-born classical musician. He is an award-winning guzheng (Chinese zither) player and pianist. He currently lives in New Zealand.

Chen Xiyao at his guzheng

Early life

Yao was born and raised in a well-known traditional Chinese musical family in Beijing, China. His grandfather, Cao Dongfu (曹东扶)was a famous composer and guzheng master, as well as one of the founders of the China Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Sichuan Conservatory of Music.^{[1] [2]} His mother, Li Bian, is a guzheng professor who holds the "National First Rank" Performer title in China and is the only Guzheng Master granted the title of “Son of the East” from the Chinese Government in 1997^[3][4][5] His father Chen Chuan Rong is a professional conductor and erhu [two-stringed violin] player.

Yao began learning Western classical music theory and piano when he was four years old, and the guzheng at eight, from his mother. He also played the guzheng as a solo artist or as part of a group at a very young age in frequent national and international concerts. He competed in a number of Chinese national and international guzheng competitions, winning several gold awards in 1996. In 1997, Yao played a guzheng solo in the 13th International Youth Arts Festival in Japan and won critical acclaim from international professionals. He has featured in TV programs and live shows on Beijing TV and China Central TV. In 2001, Yao won the Gold Medal in the Beijing Regional competition and the Silver medal in the National competition of the China National Fresh Young Artists Competition organised by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Arts.

He also assisted his mother teaching students in China and has received several Chinese national honorary awards for teaching teenagers to play Chinese musical instruments and for assisting in the training of students participating in China's nationwide Traditional Chinese Music Professional Examinations. Now he is a Member of the China Musicians Association ( guzheng branch), member and teacher of China Nationalities Orchestra Society and an examiner for the China National Arts grading system.

In New Zealand

Yao arrived in New Zealand to study in 2002, living in Timaru and Christchurch in the first three years and moving to Hamilton in 2004. Following studying at school, university (gaining a degree in Business Administration) and then at Wintec, he teaches and performs on the guzheng for local communities and plays as a solo guzheng and piano performer in churches, retirement homes, schools, and in public at many social and community events. He finished his study at Wintec in 2011, gaining Wintec's first ever Master of Arts (with Distinction) by an international student.

The culmination of his year-long masters study was the recording of 11 traditional and contemporary guzheng music pieces.

In his dissertation, he set out to explain the importance of the traditional genre for today's guzheng performers, and why this genre is slowly disappearing in modern China. He identified the following reasons for the loss of traditional genres of music in China: modern teaching methods; the impact of new political rules; Western influence on Chinese education and the Chinese Cultural Revolution^[6]

Yao now works as Chief Music Consultant at the NZ School of Traditional Chinese Music and Performing Arts Charitable Trust in Hamilton, New Zealand.^[7]

In 2009, on behalf of the Trust, he was invited by the British Council of New Zealand to join the “People in Your Neighbourhood” project with a selection of New Zealand Artists and the Urban Soul Orchestra from UK to perform at the World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD)^[8][9]

He has taught students aged from 9 – 55 in New Zealand since 2002, most being migrants originally from Taiwan, China and Malaysia. In October 2011, Yao became the first Chinese artist to be presented with the award for ‘Outstanding Services to the Arts’ from Arts Waikato in the Waikato Region, New Zealand. He has already played in front of the NZ Prime Minister, Hon. John Key, and other celebrities.

Following an interview by the NZ Symphony Orchestra, resulting in their sponsorship, Yao has now been granted a work-to-residence visa under the Talent (Arts, Culture and Sports) category by the New Zealand Immigration Service. It is possibly the first time ever that this category of visa has been granted for a performer of a traditional Chinese instrument. He has now officially immigrated to New Zealand under the "Exceptional Talent" category. Yao has great hopes to become the first cultural ambassador to represent Chinese Culture in New Zealand

Recent Activities

Yao has been engaged in the following activities in the past year or so including a number of engagements with the New Zealand China Friendship Society.^[10]

In 2011 he took part as a guzheng player accompanist in ‘[The Bone Feeder]', a play by Kiwi Chinese Renee Liang – a bridge between NZ-born Chinese and mainland Chinese^[11]

Earlier in 2012, he worked with a Chinese counter-tenor, Xi Mao, on his tour around New Zealand. Afterwards he worked with Dr Barbour from University of Waikato in her project “Whispering Birds”. Both projects were very successful.^[12][13][14]

In June 2012 he was invited by the University of Victoria and the Confucius Institute to go to Wellington to perform his own concert at the St Mary of the Angels Church. ^[15]

In July 2012, he joined the New Zealand Hibiscus Coast Singers Choir to travel to China to compete in the 11th China International Chorus Festival. He was the accompanist for the choir on both gu-zheng and piano and the Choir received 4th prize, ‘for excellence”^[16]

Chen Xiyao accompanying the Hibiscus Coast Singers while fundraising to go to the 11th China International Chorus Festival, Beijing, 2012

References