Silk Road Ensemble Artists

Betti Xiang
erhu (China)

BETTI XIANG is an internationally celebrated Erhu virtuoso. Betti's musical instrument, the ERHU, is a unique, two stringed instrument played with a bow. It is often referred to in the West as the "Chinese Violin." Its predecessor, the huqin, dates back over one thousand years and its popularity has grown enormously since the Ming Dynasty in China. Few musicians have been able to rival the delicate and beautiful sounds Betti creates with her Erhu.

Betti Xiang was born in Shanghai, China where her father, Xiang Zuying, a renowned Erhu master, first introduced her to the Erhu. Xiang Zuying was a distinguished soloist in the Shanghai National Orchestra and was also a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Professor Xiang often performed with Betti's uncle, Yangqin (Chinese Hammer Dulcimer) professor Xiang Zuhua and the two toured in China and Europe as the renowned Xiang Brothers.

Considering that she was the daughter of a university professor during the Cultural Revolution, Betti's early childhood was often shadowed by periods of great strife. Inspiration is often born out of turmoil and for Betti, this rule found no exception. Perhaps it was watching her mother hand make shoes for Betti and her older sister in the family's small apartment. Maybe it was the midnight raids, public humiliation, confiscation and destruction of the families' most prized musical possessions that made the difference. Whatever it was, even in this period of darkness, Betti's love for the Erhu intensified and she quickly mastered her passion.

Betti's father, an Erhu virtuoso himself, so enjoyed his daughter's raw talent, he would often arrange small competitions with several of his students in order to continually challenge Betti's Erhu skills. Although he never let her win one of these secret competitions, he could clearly discern from his students' vain attempts to match Betti note to note, that his daughter had the flair and forte to be one of the best. From these experiences, Betti recognized her gift very early in life and understood the importance of sharing her Erhu with the World.

Betti's public debut as an Erhu soloist occurred at the age of 17 when she served the military Orchestra in Guangzhou, China. Most memorable to Betti was her stay on the island called "Thousand Mountains and Crowded Island" where she gave more than fifty performances as a soloist to the troops and local people. After completing her military service, Betti joined the Shanghai National Orchestra where she met and later married, pipa player, Yang Wei. Together, Betti Xiang and Yang Wei performed throughout China. Betti dazzled audiences in France, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan and presented many premieres with great Chinese composers, Zhu Jianer and Jin Fuzai. In 1986, Betti also received the coveted young artists award in both Shanghai and Beijing for outstanding solo artist.

For more information on Betti Xiang, please visit xiangerhu.com.