Quick Facts
Biography
Feifei Yang (Simplified Chinese: 杨飞飞; Pinyin: Yáng Fēi Fēi; Traditional Chinese: 楊飛飛; Jyutping: Joeng4 Fei1 Fei1) is an award-winning musician, singer, instructor, and an arts entrepreneur. Hailed as "The Chinese Huqin Girl Stepping into Hollywood" by SinoVision, she is an Erhu and Banhu performance expert and vocalist whose talents are revolutionizing the global music and entertainment scenes. Indie Nation noted she is "an extremely talented pop star in the making. Her potential is truly endless." Skope Magazine highly recognized Feifei as an extraordinary artist who has "endless musical talents. Feifei is one who you will never know what to expect next." Feifei's contribution to Chinese music was commended by Agence France-Presse as "testing the possibilities of fusion by bringing jazz and other Western forms to performances on traditional instruments.”
Feifei Yang has contributed her talents to notable venues and institutions including the United Nations, Time Square Countdown Stage, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, the NBA's Barclays Center, CBS, WNBC, Summer Stage and New York Fashion Week, among several others. She is a dual 2017 Global Music Award Winner – Female Vocalist & Popular music. Feifei has been a judge for the China Central Television (CCTV) network's China Youth Talent Show Contest and Super Baby Talent Show Contest in North America, the SinoVision network's Annual American Youth Talent and Art Contest and the National Youth Music Competition in Liaoning, China.
Music career
Early Career (2003–2007)
Feifei Yang began her music training with the Huqin, the Chinese two-stringed fiddle, at the age of nine in northeast China. She was the only student studying the Banhu to be accepted to the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in 2003. Four years later, her combined achievements led her to earn the honor of Outstanding Graduate Student of all of Liaoning province's colleges, and in 2007, she became the very first Masters recipient for Banhu in the Conservatory's history.
Post-Conservatory Career (2007– present)
Feifei was the first-place winner of the AWZG Chinese Young Artists Talent Selection, and a 2013 finalist for "The Voice of China" TV singing competition, for which she won the distinction of "Extraordinary Contestant." Additional merits include the Best Creativity Award winner in China Central Television's "CCTV New Year's Gala" U.S. Talent Hunt. Along with her conservatory training, Feifei holds additional master's degrees in Arts and Cultural Management from the Pratt Institute and language education from Adelphi University. She is also a member of the Chinese Musician's Association and Liaoning Traditional Chinese Orchestral Music Association.
In 2015, Feifei released Dance of the Strings, a self-composed EP featuring an original jazz Huqin piece for both the Erhu and Banhu, creating a rhythmic groove. The album also features three of her live classical Banhu performances, in collaboration with songwriters Shao-Yi Yan, Ying Zhang, and legendary Banhu player Mingyuan Liu.
On February 1, 2016, Feifei directed and performed in The Charm – Traditional Instruments, Modern Interpretation concert at the Carnegie Hall as the artistic director and Huqin performer. All the innovative works were composed and performed by six young Chinese musicians. In a letter sent by the New York City Mayor’s office, Mr. Bill de Blasio complimented this "outstanding concert." He praised Feifei's commitment as one of the musicians to "advancing the arts in our city and to cultivating a more inclusive culture life for our residents.”
On December 31, 2016, Feifei appeared as a performer on the famed Times Square New Year's Eve Countdown Stage, watched by millions around the globe on TV and the internet. This was the first time a Chinese female singer appeared at Times Square New Year's Eve Countdown Stage.
On February 16, 2017, Feifei's first pop music video, "Tug of War", directed by Pauline Jones and produced by Good Shepard and BreedLove Productions, was released in the US.
On December 2, 2018, Flushing Town Hall proudly presented her sold out fusion music concert series –– FEI Music. This concert brings East and West popular cultures together on one stage. Selections range from 1930s Shanghai vintage style to Billboard top 100 tracks from 2018. Pop, jazz, rock and classical twists of songs are performed by Feifei Yang, Vocal and Erhu; Dongfeng Liu, keys; Tore Tao, bass; Curtis Graham Nowosad, drums; and special guest Gary Lucas.
Artistic and Cultural Exchange Achievements
Coupled with her love for the performing arts is Feifei's passion for building bridges between China and diverse cultures and art forms. She is the founder of FFY Arts Production & Consulting, an organization that helps emerging young artists to receive public recognition. Feifei's story was filmed by Sohu TV and the Ividea Cultural Production Company for the 2014 documentary series Fly Across America. She also co-directed the Chinese program on the 2017 New Year's Eve Countdown Stage and New York flash mobs for CCTV and Beijing Television’s 2017 Chinese New Year Gala broadcasts. Feifei's service to New York's musical and cultural life has been recognized and honored in numerous citations by the New York State Assembly.
Feifei also pursues this artistic and cultural bridge through academic research. In 2015, she collaborated with Mr. Cosmo Shoumain Xue to develop a modern electronic version of the Erhu, enabling performers to play contemporary music of professional standards while retaining the rich heritage of the thousand year-old instrument. Under the advisement of professor HyukJae Henry Yoo at the Pratt Institute in New York, Feifei contributed a deep understanding of the essence and heritage of the Erhu, which was essential to its research, creation, and execution. Her contributions led the Pratt Institute to retain Feifei as a post-graduate researcher for its Digital arts and Humanities Research Center (DAHRC). Her work with Pratt Institute’s DAHRC further pushes the boundaries of art and science, combining music and "wearable technology."
Discography
Jazz
China Caribe (2018)
Popular Music
Tug of War (2017)
New Classical
Ergo (2017)
Modern World Music
To Be (2017)
Peace (2016)
Vermillion Bird (2016)
The Flower in the Mirror (2016)
Dance of the Strings (2015)
Hebei Bang Zi Variation (2015)
A New Song for the Oasis (2015)
Weaving Thread (2015)
