|
PRESS RELEASE
Shuman Public Relations
contact@shuman-pr.com | (212) 315-1300
| |
CLASSICAL GUITARIST XUEFEI YANG EMBARKS
ON 15-CITY U.S. TOUR, AUGUST 13-SEPTEMBER 6, 2025
| | |
Program celebrates music from across the globe,
including selections from Yang’s new album Chapeau Satie
| | |
NEW YORK, NY (JUNE 25, 2025) – Internationally acclaimed classical guitarist Xuefei Yang undertakes a comprehensive 15-city U.S. tour this August and September, presenting a transcultural celebration of music spanning continents and cultures. The tour, from August 13 through September 6 (full schedule below), showcases Yang's extraordinary versatility through repertoire ranging from Spanish classics to American jazz standards, featuring many of her own innovative arrangements.
Coinciding with the tour, Yang releases her groundbreaking new album "Chapeau Satie" on Apple's Platoon label, also featuring her original guitar arrangements of Erik Satie's works in honor of the composer's centenary. The tour program features selections from the recording, including Satie's haunting "Gnossienne No. 3" and the cabaret-inspired "La diva de l'Empire."
Yang's tour repertoire is a global musical odyssey. From the passionate sounds of Andalucía with Albéniz's "Asturias" to the moods of Montmartre with Satie's Parisian compositions. The program also explores diverse musical landscapes including Shades of the Orient with Ryuichi Sakamoto's "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" and Yang's own "Xinjiang Fantasy," the spirit of South America through works by Ponce, Piazzolla, Bonfá, and Jobim, American jazz standards including Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes" and Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train," and Spanish and Colombian works including Tárrega's beloved "Recuerdos de la Alhambra."
| | |
Yang's remarkable journey began during a pivotal moment in Chinese history. Following the Cultural Revolution—a period when Western musical instruments and music were banned—she blazed the trail as the first-ever guitarist in China to enter a music school and became the first internationally recognized Chinese guitarist on the world stage.
Her extraordinary talent was recognized early: at age ten, her first public appearance received such acclaim that the Spanish Ambassador in China presented her with a concert guitar; at fourteen, her debut in Madrid was attended by legendary composer Joaquín Rodrigo; and when guitar virtuoso John Williams heard her play, he donated two of his own instruments to Beijing's Central Conservatory especially for her and other advanced students.
Yang is one of the few guitarists whose artistry connects with audiences far beyond the guitar fraternity. Her international success has led her to perform in more than 50 countries at prestigious venues, frequently collaborating with the world's leading orchestras and renowned artists including Ian Bostridge, Roberto Alagna, and Sir James Galway. Now based in the U.K. she has performed regularly in the U.S. over the last twenty years, but this marks her first coast-to-coast tour.
Her extensive discography has garnered over 10 million plays in the U.S. on Apple Music and includes acclaimed recordings for major labels, with her first album receiving a gold disc and her second selected as 'Editor's Choice' in Gramophone magazine. Recent releases include collaborations and solo works spanning diverse musical territories: "Songs from our Ancestors" with Ian Bostridge, "Sketches of China," "Magna Carta" with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra (which featured in USA Billboard Charts and UK Official Charts), "X Culture" exploring cross-cultural musical inspirations, and most recently "Songs of Joy and Sorrow" with cellist Johannes Moser.
Yang's impact extends beyond performance, with appearances on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, the BBC Proms, and documentaries on BBC and China Central Television. Classic FM named her as one of the 100 top classical musicians of our time, BBC Music Magazine recognized her as one of the top six guitarists of the last century, and Gramophone magazine praised her as one of the leading innovators of her generation for continuing to build the guitar repertoire.
| |
Tour Dates and Venues
Presented by Concerts in America
- Aug 13, 7:30 PM - Houston, TX - Bayou Theater, University of Houston
- Aug 15, 7:30 PM - Boston, MA - Arlington Street Church
- Aug 16, 7:30 PM - New York, NY - New York Society for Ethical Culture
- Aug 19, 7:30 PM - Philadelphia, PA - Old Pine Street Presbyterian Church
- Aug 20, 7:30 PM - Baltimore, MD - Earl and Darielle Linehan Concert Hall
- Aug 21, 7:30 PM - Bethesda, MD - Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ
- Aug 22, 7:00 PM - Norfolk, VA - The Salvation Army Kroc Center Hampton Roads
- Aug 23, 7:30 PM - Charlotte, NC - Central Piedmont Parr Center
- Aug 25, 7:30 PM - Atlanta, GA - Central Presbyterian Church
- Aug 27, 7:30 PM - Memphis, TN - Scheidt Family Performing Arts Center
- Aug 29, 7:30 PM - Seattle, WA - Town Hall Seattle
- Aug 30, 7:30 PM - Portland, OR - First Congregational United Church of Christ
- Sep 1, 7:30 PM - San Francisco, CA - St. Mark's Lutheran Church
- Sep 3, 7:30 PM - Long Beach, CA - First Congregational Church of Long Beach
- Sep 6, 7:30 PM - Dallas, TX - Unity of Dallas
Program:
Isaac Albéniz — Asturias
Erik Satie — Gnossienne No. 3
Erik Satie — La diva de l’Empire (The Diva of the Empire)
Ryuichi Sakamoto — Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
Xuefei Yang — Xinjiang Fantasy
Manuel Ponce — Estrellita (Little Star)
Manuel Ponce — Scherzino Mexicano
Astor Piazzolla — La muerte del ángel (Death of the Angel)
Luiz Bonfá — Manhã de Carnaval (Carnival Morning)
Antônio Carlos Jobim — A felicidade (Happiness)
Jerome Kern — Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
Billy Strayhorn — Take the 'A’ Train
Francisco Tárrega — Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of the Alhambra)
Paco Peña — El Nuevo Día’ Colombianas (A New Day)
| |
About Xuefei Yang
Xuefei Yang is acclaimed as one of the world's finest classical guitarists and recognized as a musical pioneer whose artistry transcends traditional boundaries. Her fascinating journey from post-Cultural Revolution China to international stardom has made her one of the few guitarists whose artistry connects with audiences far beyond the guitar fraternity. With performances in more than 50 countries and collaborations with the world's leading orchestras and artists, Yang has established herself as a singular voice in classical music. Her extensive discography showcases remarkable versatility, earning critical acclaim including a gold disc, Gramophone's 'Editor's Choice' selections, and chart positions on both USA Billboard and UK Official Charts. Her commitment to expanding the guitar repertoire through transcription, arrangement, and cross-cultural exploration continues to introduce classical guitar to new audiences worldwide.
| | | | |
