GU-FENG Ensemble

Line up

• Xu Fengxia (voc., guzheng, sanxian, guqin, liuqin)
• Ya Dong (pipa)
• Zhenfang Zhang (erhu, guqin)

• country:
  China
• region:
  Central Asia
• style(s):
  Jazz Traditional
• label:
  Aliso Records
• type:
  Band, Solist, Composer/Songwriter
• gender:
  female
• instrumentation:
  instrumental, vocal
• artist submitted by:
  Ahoi

From Ancient to Future
Old Classical, Contemporary & Avantgarde

Trio of Chinese Top Musicians from famous Shanghai music conservatory with very successfully Solo & Duo-Performances, plus this Trio GU-FENG bring you really in Trance of old traditional stuff into high Avantgarde Level. GU-FENG was founded 1987 and is based in Germany.

XU FENGXIA
was born 1963 in Shanghai. Whith seven years she started to study Chinese string instruments. Graduated from the famous Shanghai music conservatory. Xu Fengxia played four instruments: "guzheng", "sanxian" (7 stringed "guqin") and the Chinese small lute called "liuqin".
1986 - soloist at Shanghai orchestra for Chinese music. 1988 Germany tour with this orchestra. At the same time active in Shanghai's FIRST LADIES ROCKBAND(). 1989 very successful solo concert with four instruments in Singapore. 1990 the first concert with jazz musicians at "People's" Theatre in Shanghai. In 1991 she moved to Germany.
Since 1992 she is a member of the GU-FENG Ensemble. With the GU-FENG Ensemble productions at Athens International Music Festival, "Bayrischer Rundfunk" Munich and in 2000 cooperation with the Stuttgart chamber orchestra.
1991 to 1996 she is the leader of Shanghai Connection, which worked in various combinations from trio to septet Shanghai Connection performed new compositions combining traditional Chinese music with Jazz and contemporary sounds. Concerts all over North-Rhine Westfalia.
1995 Xu begins to work with the bass player Peter Kowald from Wuppertal. f.e. in his band "Global Village" With Kowald on the stages of many festivals such as Total Music Meeting, Taktlos Festival, Canaille Frankfurt, Visions Festival New York, Poschiavo Festival Switzerland, Pushkin Festival Moscow.
1997 soloist in the works of many contemporary Chinese Composers. f.e. Xu Shuya, Qu Xiaosong, Chen Xiao- yong, Zhou Long with "Nieuw Ensemble" Amsterdam, Ensemble "Recherche", "Bremen Chamber Philharmony" and the Bavaria Radio Symhony Orchestra. With the "Nieuw Ensemble" Amsterdam travelled to Lisbon, Paris, Munich, Huddersfield (GB), Amsterdam, Brussels and many other places.
DISCOGRAPHY Xu Fengxia
solo CD "Borderless Songs". It features Xu Fengxia on the guzheng and on the tree-stringed sanxian. One important aspect is the singing, including a lot of styles like Beijing-opera, deep throat singing, avantgarde sound poetry and much more. The CD was recorded at "Aliso Records" studio with the help and assistance of Toto Blanke.

ZHENFANG ZHANG
was born in the capital of the province Henan, Zhenghou, right in the heart of China. As a young girl she started to learn Erhu, also known as knee violin.
The famous musician Mr Luomeng Shi soon discovered the big talent of the little artist. This enabled her to present her beautiful violin solos to a fervent audience, broadcasted by provincial radio as well as by Peking national central radio. This is how she has got an opportunity to present her wonderful violin solos to the listeners of Province-radio and national radio.
1984 she was welcomed by both state music col-leges in Beijing and in Wuhan. During four years of studying she learnt from professor Shao Zhang the high art of violin performance and brought it to perfection with the help of the professor Jangde Xu. While learning Erhu she also learned traditional Guqin from the famous Solo-master Xianting Li.
In 1988 she passed the exam with special open performance, received a Bachelor degree and started per-forming as a solo of Chinese violin and Guqin in the Beijing singing- and dancing ensemble.
1990 she performed in Beijing Concert of new works and won the prize "Excellent Player".
1991 she moved to Germany. Since then she performed in various European cities and quickly became famous in Europe.
Between 1991 and 1996 Zhenfang Zhang performed in the band-trio "Shanghai Connection" with new compositions in the area between traditional Chinese music & Jazz.
1995 she is a member of the "GU-FENG Ensemble".
2000 Zhenfang Zhang performed as a soloist of Chinese Erhu and made concerts together with Bavarian Radio Orchestra in Munich, in Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Duisburg philharmonics, Dresden symphony Orchestra, Berlin philharmonics, Manchester BBC philharmonics, she played the composition "from Tang Curt" of a modern composer Zhou Long and the work of Chinese composer Chen Yi "fiddle suit for ugin and Orchestra".
2003 she created an Erhu-piano duet "Duo Phoenix" with Mrs. Hee-Won Park, performed well-known Chinese and European compositions with Erhu.
2004-2005 she took part in "Free Music Festival with Voice of Asia" and "Sori Festival" in South Korea.
DISCOGRAPHY Zhenfang Zhang
CD "Magic Music from Far East".
CD "A Flower" represents the work of the duet "Guzheng und Erhu" together with the musician Xu Fengxia
CD "JEONG - with rocks and stones trees", which represents the performance together with piano, cello and knee violin is about to appear.

YA DONG
is considered to be the best Chinese Pipa-player She was born in the Chinese city Shanghai. She plays Pipa since she was 6, and she gave her first solo concert, when she was 13. Her talent has reached its full maturity in the higher school of music of Shanghai (1979 - 1983), where she was assigned to be a Professor. In 1982 she was given the National Prize for "Soloists of Chinese instruments"
Since 1987 Ya Dong lives in Germany, where gave solo concerts. She appeared in radio and TV channels also as a member of GU-FENG Ensemble in Germany and European countries. Through her musical activities she attracted a considerable attention.
In the latest years Ya Dong apart from representing the traditional Chinese repertoire exerts herself in the area of contemporary music together with European Orchestras and Ensembles, for example Berlin Philharmonics, Munich Philharmonics, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Netherlands State Opera Orchestra, New Ensemble Amsterdam, Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra, National Torino Symphony Orchestra, with the means of which she makes an international reputation.
Apart from numerous open concerts Ya Dong also performs on the important celebration events for example on the visit of Chinese premier minister in Germany and on the meeting of Federal Chancellor Schroeder, foreign minister Fischer and Vice president of Chinese government Hu and also on the big exebition of the Chinese "Tonarmee" in Duesseldorf.