Classical guitarist Yang Xuefei is set to tour the country with her new album, Chen Nan reports.

Yang Xuefei records her new album in London in April. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Like many other artists, classical guitarist Yang Xuefei was scheduled to tour different countries, recording new albums and performing in front of live audiences. However, in the past three years, she had to change her plans frequently due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was very depressing to reschedule over and over again. I tried hard to cheer myself up and adjust to the 'new normal'," says Yang.

After more than 35 years with my guitar, I have grown as a person and as an artist. I know the guitar better than before, and I feel I have my own voice on it.

Yang Xuefei, guitarist

A way to cope with the situation for her was to listen to some classics that she grew up with, and play them.

"I hadn't listened to some such pieces for years because I was always looking for new music. But I found them very comforting, especially during this difficult time," says Yang.

The enjoyment inspired Yang to record a new album, titled Guitar Favourites, which was released on Nov 24 by the Decca label. The album was recorded and produced at the London Abbey Road Studios in April.

Yang's new album puts together a personal selection of music — 22 pieces — showcasing her career and ranges from the music she played as a young girl to audience favorites she performed countless times onstage earlier.

"The guitar feels like a lifelong companion to me. After more than 35 years with my guitar, I have grown as a person and as an artist. I know the guitar better than before, and I feel I have my own voice on it," says Yang. "I want more people to fall in love with this beautiful instrument. I feel it's time to return to the quintessential guitar music that first drew me, and many others, to its spell."

Yang poses in front of the London Abbey Road Studios. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

The album opens with Asturias (Leyenda), one of the best-known compositions of Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz. Yang played that piece as a child.

"It's a very beautiful music piece that takes people into the world of classical guitar," says Yang.

When she was 9 years old, Yang went to a concert of one of her favorite classical guitarists John Williams in Beijing, where Williams played that music.

In her new album, Yang also plays When the Birds Return, composed by Williams. She calls Williams her "mentor".

"When I was a student of the middle school affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music, I once went to a workshop by Williams in Beijing. He inspired me and encouraged me to renew my ambition to become a professional guitarist," recalls Yang.

When Williams heard her play, he gave two of his own instruments to Yang's school, one especially for her.

However, it was also a time when Yang was lost and confused about her future. Because she was the first and only student in the school learning classical guitar back then, she felt lonely. Compared to other Western musical instruments, such as the piano or the violin, which were popular among Chinese music learners, the guitar seemed to be a minority taste.

She says when she decided to pursue a career as a classical guitarist, it was a risky choice, as few in the country had done so before.

"Though it was not a popular instrument, the sound's magical quality kept surprising me," recalls Yang.

Yang also recorded Fandango (from Tres Piezas Espanolas) in her new album, paying tribe to the Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. The song carries special significance for Yang. When she was a teenager, Yang had her debut concert in Madrid, as part of her tour of Spain and Portugal. The composer came to her concert and Yang performed Fandango.

"The composer was over 90 years old and he came to the concert with his daughter. He was blind so he couldn't see me playing the music piece. When his daughter told him that it was a 14-year-old girl from China playing his music piece, he was very surprised," recalls Yang.

Her new album showcases her musical journey. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)

Born in Beijing in 1977, Yang went on to become the first musician from China to receive a full scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London in 2002. As a soloist, she tours worldwide and has been living in London for 20 years. Her international success has led her to play in more than 50 countries at numerous prestigious venues such as the Royal Albert Hall in London and Carnegie Hall in New York.

"When I learned to play the instrument, my goal was to play the notes correctly. But as I grew up and launched a professional career, what I wanted to achieve was to build a dialogue with people from different cultures through my music," says Yang, adding that years of touring allowed her not only to gain a wide knowledge about the world but also gave her a more vivid perspective on her own cultural background.

In 2020, she released an album, titled Sketches of China, which is her first album of Chinese music.

In her new album, she has also recorded her first composition, Xinjiang Fantasy, a work based on traditional folksongs of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

"I have been intrigued by Xinjiang folk music and musical instruments such as the hand-held drum and dombra (a two-string plucked instrument). When I wrote the song, I used my guitar to imitate the sounds of those instruments," says Yang. "I played the music piece several times when I toured in the country last year and the feedback of the audience was great. So I decided to record it in the new album."

Other works featured in her new album include Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Spanish composer and guitarist Francisco Tarrega, which Yang first played at age 10, and La Catedral by Paraguayan composer Agustin Barrios Mangore, which Yang played in the final of a major guitar competition in Beijing when she was 11, competing against adult musicians.

Yang will launch a tour for her new album in January, which will take her to Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, Kunming, Yunnan province, Quanzhou, Fujian province, and Shanghai, among other Chinese cities, through February.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn