Silk Road Ensemble Artists

Yang Wei
pipa (b. 1960, China, United States)

"When I started working with this project, I saw musicians from many different countries carrying different instruments and speaking different languages. I remember thinking, 'Through music, we can talk to each other. From here, Chinese music can enter the world."

Yang Wei began his musical education at the early age of 6, receiving instruction in the playing of various classical Chinese instruments. At the age of 13, he made the decision to concentrate his considerable talents upon mastering the pipa. As a developing musician, Wei was taught by the pipa master, Liu Dehai. At 18, he performed as a pipa soloist with the national Shanghai Orchestra and as his young career blossomed. In 1989, he was awarded the ART Trophy First Prize for the International Chinese Musical Instruments Competition, in the Young Professional Pipa Section. His performances have been celebrated worldwide, inspiring audiences throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States. From the year 2000, Yang Wei has toured with the acclaimed, high profile Silk Road Project, performing alongside world famous cellist, Yo Yo Ma. Wei has toured from coast to coast in the United States, additionally, performing at such known venues as the Ravinia International Music Festival, the Kimmel Center, the Lincoln Center and the Chicago Symphony Center. In addition to these performances and appearances, he has served as artist-in-residence for Chicago's Art Institute and has led international music lectures. He has been instrumental in commissioning new work's by Chinese composers such as Bright Sheng, Huang Ro, and Lu Pei. His participation in such musical ventures serves to enrich the already grand legacy of Chinese music.

In 1996, Wei moved to the United States. With a desire to honor the musical heritage of his homeland China, but also, to express himself in Western themes in the U.S., Wei strives to share his native musical heritage, exploring the creative possibilities of blending his Eastern background with Western influences of his new home. Yang Wei continues to develop his art through diligent study, as well as through his involvement in timely new collaborations. He is ever committed to sharing his music with the community around him.

Yang Wei performs with the Silk Road Ensemble and was featured in the photo exhibit entitled The Silk Road Ensemble: Portraits and Places. He appears on two of the Ensemble’s albums released by Sony Classical: When Strangers Meet and New Impossibilities. Learn more about Yang Wei at his homepage (http://www.pipasensation.com).