Freya Yang

Prokofiev first became fascinated by the violin upon hearing the playing of his private teacher, Reinhold Glière. A dozen years later Prokofiev wrote his Violin Concerto No. 1 – a work of contrasting open-hearted lyricism and whimsical playfulness that features a wild central Scherzo with dazzling technical gymnastics. By contrast, the Violin Concerto No. 2 is emotionally reserved and sardonic with an inspired plaintive and long-arching slow movement. Composed to an official Soviet commission for an ensemble piece to be played by talented child violinists in unison, the witty and upbeat Sonata for Solo Violin can also be played by a single performer.

Popper was not only one of the most outstanding cellists of his time, but also contributed a number of superb compositions to cello literature. On this new release for CPO, Wen-Sinn Yang masters the challenging playing technique to the highest level.

Chinese classical guitarist Xue Fei Yang makes her major-league recording debut with this EMI disc Romance de Amor. The program consists of the usual classical guitar bonbons mixed in with popular numbers mixed in – the tango "La Cumparsita" and the Beatles' "Michelle" and Paul Simon's version of "El Condor Pasa" for example, and a couple of traditional Chinese songs, as well…

Yang has won numerous prizes in music competitions including the Stotsenberg International Classical Guitar Competition, the San Francisco International Guitar Competition and the Young Concert Artist International competition in the United States, and the Darwin International Guitar Competition in Australia. She was awarded first prize in the Ivor Mairants Guitar Award by the City of London's Worshipful Company of Musicians, and won the Dorothy Grinstead Prize for a recital at Fairfield Hall, Croydon.

Acclaimed Chinese guitarist Xuefei Yang releases a new double-album - Sketches of China - featuring a unique collection of works ranging from the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) to the 21st Century, many of which are world premiere recordings. For this album, Xuefei has sought out and arranged poignantly beautiful traditional melodies, commissioned new works from leading Chinese composers and collaborated with colleagues who are the musical superstars in her native land.

Violonist MI-Sa Yang and pianist Adam Laloum present a program that mirrors four composers of different sensitivities who, in their confrontation with the second Vienna School's radical theories, have each sought in a genuine, personal way, to provide an alternative solution to the problems raised by the evolution of the musical language.

Gordon Chin is one of Taiwans leading composers, and increasingly honoured by commissions and performances from major ensembles in North America, Asia and Europe. Featuring an array of exotic Chinese percussion instruments, Symphony No. 3 Taiwan is a dramatically powerful work cast in three movements which explore his native countrys turbulent history. Specific literary quotations from Shakespeare, Blaise Pascal and Samuel Johnson elucidate the expressive moods of the three-movement Cello Concerto No. 1.