Beijing Guitar Duo to perform at Zankel Music Center
Beijing Guitar Duo
The Beijing Guitar Duo will perform in concert at Skidmore College’s Arthur Zankel Music Center at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 22. Admission is $8 adults, $5 Skidmore community and seniors, and free for students and children.
Composed of guitarist Meng Su and Yameng Wang, the Beijing Guitar Duo has performed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. This past season took them to countries such as Germany, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, China, Panama, and the United States. The duo has toured extensively with mentor Manuel Barrueco, appearing in such countries as Germany, Finland, Spain, Russia, as well as the United States.
The duo’s performances and recordings have impressed the public with “an ability and artistry that exceeds their years,” according to one critic. The pair’s debut CD Maracaípe received a Latin Grammy nomination for the title piece, which was dedicated to them by renowned guitarist/composer Sergio Assad. Their second CD, Bach to Tan Dun, has been widely noted for the world-premiere recording of Tan Dun’s Eight Memories in Watercolor, especially arranged for the duo by Manuel Barrueco. A recording in trio, China West, with Maestro Barrueco was released in last May.
Meng Su and Yameng Wang were born in the coastal city of Qingdao, China. They came to the partnership with exceptional credentials, including a string of competition awards. Su’s honors include victories at the Vienna Youth Guitar Competition and the Christopher Parkening Young Guitarist Competition, while Wang was the youngest guitarist to win the Tokyo International Guitar Competition at the age of 12, and was invited by Radio France to perform at the prestigious Paris International Guitar Art Week at age 14. Both young artists had given solo recitals in China and abroad, and had made solo recordings before they formed the duo.
In addition to concertizing, the members of the duo share a love for teaching, which brings them to major conservatories around the world for master classes and to judge competitions. Since 2011 they have been artists-in-residence for the San Francisco Performances. This four-year residency program brings them to the Bay Area every year for community outreach, performances, and master classes in public schools as well as for the San Francisco Conservatory.
The Beijing Guitar Duo has been supported by the Maryland State Art Council’s Touring Artists Grant program since 2014.