CONCERT PIANIST DI XIAO, BIOGRAPHY

 

Abstract

Chinese Concert Pianist Di Xiao began her musical studies at the age of four, subsequently studying at Guangzhou Conservatory, the Odessa Conservatoire, under the eminent Professors A. M. Bougaevski and G. V. Popova, and later at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing under Professor QiFang Li. She graduated from Beijing with one of the highest marks in the history of the Conservatory.  Later she was awarded a full scholarship by Birmingham Conservatoire which enabled her to travel to England to continue her studies under Professors Mark Racz, now Deputy Principle at The Royal Academy of Music London, and Malcolm Wilson. She graduated with distinction in 2006 winning a number of prizes along the way.

Di Xiao has recently released her first album ‘Di Xiao Presents’ which is being played regularly on European radio stations including BBC Radio 3.  During the 2008/09 season she thrilled audiences across Europe on her Rising Star Tour which took her to 12 of the worlds most prestigious concert halls; Athens Megaron, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Hamburg Laeiszhalle, Barcelona L’Auditori, Brussels Bozar, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Salzburg Mozartium, Wien Konzerthaus, Stockholm Konserthuset, Köln Philharmonie, Birmingham Town Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall.  Later the same year Ms Xiao performed in Singapore and India for the Bremen Musikfest.

Biography 

Di Xiao won numerous prizes and competitions at an early age, among them first prize in the Luo Shi Trophy Competition in 1990 and Most Outstanding Young Musician of Guangdong Province Award in 1996. She has been invited to perform as a soloist in many countries including China, Malaysia, Ukraine and the UK. In 1997 she played Chengzong Yin’s Yellow River Piano Concerto in Kuala Lumpur and Penang for the Malaysian Royal Family, which drew much praise from the press and critics. In her native country, she has appeared the Beijing Concert Hall and a number of other important venues across the country.

 

In the UK Di Xiao has performed at a number of prestigious venues and events including Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Warwick Arts Centre, the Buxton Arts Festival, Stratford Music Festival, and Leamington Music Festival. Di Xiao’s concert performances have received much acclaim in the UK. Her debut at Symphony Hall Birmingham in January 2006 was described by the UK Chinese Times as “A stunning concert!” and an early performance of the Schumann Concerto prompted The Birmingham Post to describe her as “a pianist of awesome gifts …her imperious opening flourish announced a capacity for full, rich chording. But there was also flowing, rippling figuration as she revealed her instinctive grasp of this wonderful work. In her graceful, dancing finale it was easy to imagine Clara Schumann at the keyboard, Di Xiao’s profile and demeanour uncannily close to those of the great lady herself.”

 

In July 2007 she took first prize at the Brant International Piano Competition which led to her selection for the Rising Star series 08/09.  During this tour She thrilled audiences across Europe at 12 of the worlds most prestigious concert halls; Athens Megaron, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Hamburg Laeiszhalle, Barcelona L’Auditori, Brussels Bozar, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Salzburg Mozartium, Wien Konzerthaus, Stockholm Konserthuset, Köln Philharmonie, Birmingham Town Hall and Birmingham Symphony Hall.  Her recitals at Athens, Barcelona, Hamburg, Luxembourg and Amsterdam were recorded and continue to delight audiences through the media of radio.

 

Di Xiao’s truly inspiring performances stem from her equal mastery of technique, artistry and temperament. She forms a strong bond with audiences everywhere and exudes a special quality and integrity in her music making. However, she continues her quest for perfection and strives continually for self improvement. In June 2006, she had the honour of a personal master-class with Alfred Brendel on Beethoven’s E major Sonata Op. 109, during which he commented on her “very clear mind and excellent fingers!”

 

Her repertoire reflects a broad spectrum of interests with a wide range of musical styles ranging from the works of Beethoven and Mozart to Ravel and Messiaen. She has a keen interest in Chinese classical folk music and in contemporary piano works by the new generation of Chinese composers. She seeks tirelessly for new and innovative ways to bring these works to a wider audience. Di Xiao aspires to be an international ambassador for the piano, combining both Chinese and Western repertoire in the programming of her concerts, thereby creating a bridge between two cultures.

 

Ecstasy Records 2009

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is really nothing in the world like music. There have been studies to show the amazing effect that is has on the human brain, such as the link between music and spatial intelligence. The only thing that can compare with listening to music is the ability to make our own music.

Not everyone is as gifted as the rest when it comes to playing music. Not all of us have the time, or want to invest the time in learning to play a complicated instrument such as the piano. That does not mean that we don’t all want to be able to play an instrument. There are easy musical instruments that you can learn to play quickly. Here are eight:

1. Drums. If you have a pretty good sense of rhythm, drums are a fairly easy musical instrument that you can learn to play quickly. You won’t be great, but you can sure have fun. There are many kinds of drums, from the congo drum to the high hat to the bass drum to the snare drum. Drums, along with the tambourine, belong to the percussion family. Which means the hitting of one body against another; the drum is also played with the hands or a person can use one to two sticks. It is just a matter of counting beats as you play, either mechanically or by feeling the beat.

2. Tambourines. This easy musical instrument is made up of a shallow hand held drum, usually made from a circular piece of wood and calf skin or plastic that is stretched across the top. You play it with your hands, stroking or shaking the jingle or rubbing, shaking or striking the drum head with your knuckles. Play what feels good.

3. Bongos. Another percussion instrument that is easy to learn to play are the bongos. Bongos are a type of drum made up of two sections, one of which is larger then the other. The drums are attached to one another. Played by placing the bongos between the knees, they produce a high pitched sound. When the bongos are placed between the knees correctly, the larger drum will be to the right. Traditionally, they are played by striking the tops with your fingers and palms. There are times when the bongos are played with sticks and brushes. It is possible to alter the sound from the bongos by placing one hand on the top of the drum and then beat it with the other hand.

4. Comb buzzer. We can look at a couple wind instruments that are also easy musical instruments that you can learn to play quickly. One of my favorites would be the comb buzzer. This instrument is truly one anyone that can breathe can play. It is not only easy; you can make it at home. You take a pocket comb and tissue paper. Hold the tissue paper against the comb and hum through the tissue paper. This produces a buzzing sound and it tickles the lips.

5. Kazoo. If you are having fun with the comb buzzer, then try the kazoo. The kazoo is also a fun instrument that is played by humming. The kazoo adds a humming noise. People play the kazoo by closing your lips around the kazoo and singing into it. Most people that try to hum into the kazoo are not very successful. But if you sing into it, for example, repeating the word do, do, do, do in to the kazoo you get that wonderful humming sound.

6. Recorder. The next step up from the kazoo, is the recorder. It is a fun and easy to learn instrument that you can learn to play quickly. To play the recorder, you hold it outward from your lips, unlike the traditional flute that is held sideways. You then blow or breath, really, into the recorder, and the pitch or note that is played varies by the open finger holes. You can use all parts of your mouth to manipulate the sound from the recorder. In particular, use the tongue and the diaphragm to help control air flow, hence lengthening the time a note is held and how many different notes are played on a breath. Quality recorders come in many sizes and are made of wood. There are also plastic recorders, used widely in schools, and sometimes also known as a “tonette”. Tin whistles and ocarinas are similar types of recorders.

7. Xylophone. Often used in the orchestra as a serious instrument, the xylophone is a like a piano keyboard that you strike with mallets. With the larger, lower-sounding bars on the left, the notes of the xylophone are laid out much like a piano keyboard. Striking the bars with hard mallets produces a bright, sharp sound. Xylophones made of wood can be very expensive, but for fun and quick learning, a small xylophone made of metal or metal and plastic is ideal, and are used in many schools.

8. Autoharp. The autoharp is a musical instrument having a series of chord bars attached to dampers which, when depressed, mute all the strings other than those that form the chord you want to play. The autoharp is not really a harp at all, but in reality is a zither.

As you can see, just because you are limited on time or possibly ability does not mean that you can not play an instrument for your own enjoyment. There are easy musical instruments that you can learn to play quickly. Percussion instruments and wind instruments make for easy learning and quick fun. Enjoy the benefits of making music and find a new talent or at least a new hobby.

Jazz is an American art form whose roots date back to the mid-19th century slave songs and chants. The early 20th century saw the art form blossom as instrumental music in the southern United States, mainly along the Mississippi river and specifically New Orleans, Louisiana.

Early instrumental jazz combos of New Orleans varied in instrumentation. More often than not, these early jazz groups generally consisted of trumpet, clarinet, trombone, tuba and drums. This instrumentation became what is known as the “dixieland” combo, making its way up the Mississippi river to Chicago where the music became popularized by jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong.

Dixieland combos can be thought of as groups that play “polyphonic” improvisational music. Each instrument is independent of every other instrument, with each player creating separate musical improvisations based on known melodies, or “tunes” of the day.

The players of these early jazz combos each had a separate role within the group. The trumpet player was depended upon to state the melody of the song, while the clarinet would improvise complex lines above him. The trombonists role was to improvise or “fill in” the middle register with lines and notes that were essential to the chord changes of the song itself. The tuba player (or bass player) generally laid down root notes (and 5ths) of each chord on beats 1 and 3 of each measure. The tuba served as the harmonic anchor for the group. Lastly, it was the drummers role to keep everyone together by keeping a steady beat throughout the entirety of the song.

As jazz music developed throughout the 1940s and 1950s, jazz combo instrumentation began to become more standardized. The jazz “quintet” and “sextet” became very popular during this time. The quintet consisted of trumpet and alto (or tenor) sax as the main melodic instruments while the rhythm section (piano, bass and drums) took care of rhythm and harmony.

The sextet added a trombone to form what essentially was a three horn front line, with rhythm section accompaniment. The extra melodic instrument of the sextet made it possible for the horns to add more harmonic depth to the sound of the group. Each instrument had a role not only as a melodic voice, but also as an integral component of the harmonic structure as well.

Modern jazz combos consist of a variety of instrumentation – 4, 5 horn combos are common place. As the group grows in size however, the name “combo” is replaced by “band” or “little big band”.

The jazz combo has provided a musical and creative outlet for countless musicians over the last 100 years. The jazz combo continues to provide jazz musicians the opportunity to work together to make music not only as a group but also to develop their own voice as individual jazz improvisers. It is, and probably always will be, the perfect vehicle for learning the art of jazz improvisation.