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Biography
Yang Wei / pipa
Yang Wei began his musical education at the age of 6, receiving instructions in the playing of various classical Chinese instruments. Upon his decision to concentrate his talents on mastering of the pipa at the age of 13, Wei was taught by the pipa master Liu Dehai. At 18, he performed as a pipa soloist with the National Shanghai Orchestra and in 1989, he was awarded the ART Trophy First Prize for the International Chinese Musical Instruments Competition, in the Young Professional Pipa Section.
Yang Wei has been instrumental in commissioning new works by Chinese composers such as Bright Sheng, Huang Ro and Lu Pei. From the year 2000, he has toured with the acclaimed Silk Road Project, performing alongside cellist Yo-Yo Ma and Wei's solo performances have also been celebrated worldwide inspiring audiences throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. Wei has served as the Artist-in-Residence for Art Institute of Chicago and has made the United States his home since 1996.
DaXun Zhang / double bass
The Washington Post declares, “If the bass is finally to produce a headliner, the instrument can have no better champion than Zhang,” of double bassist DaXun Zhang. His many honors include winning the Young Concert Artists Auditions in 2003, the Grand Prize of the American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition in 2002, and the youngest artist ever to win the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition. He has toured with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble and also participated in its recording of the CD "Enchanted" which was released by Sony Classical.
DaXun Zhang comes from a family of bassists in Harbin, China. He began his study with his father at the age of 9 and later continued his studies at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and received his Artist Diploma from Indiana University School of Music, where he worked with Lawrence Hurst. He has been appointed as the Lecturer of Double Bass at the Northwestern University School of Music.
Tomoko Kashiwagi / piano
Pianist Tomoko Kashiwagi has been actively performing as collaborative and chamber music pianist for many years. She has served as the staff accompanist for the Interlochen Arts Camp and the piano faculty/coach at the Ithaca College Suzuki Institute. She received intensive training on chamber music at the reknown Kent/Blossom Music Festival where she was a full scholarship recipient in 2003. Kashiwagi has performed across the country with the double bass soloist DaXun Zhang including such prestigious venues as the 92nd St. Y in New York, the Gardner Museum in Boston and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.
A native of Japan, she began her piano studies at the age of 6. She completed her Bachelor of Music, Master of Music and Performer Diploma in Piano Performance at Indiana University. Currently, Kashiwagi teaches piano for Midwest School of Music, Inc. and keeps busy schedule as an educator and collaborator.
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