Xuefei Yang began playing the guitar when she was seven. Three years later she started studying under Chen Zhi, the chairman of the China Classical Guitar Society.

As a schoolgirl she rapidly achieved an international reputation, playing extensively in China, Hong Kong, Spain, Australia, Taiwan, Japan and at the grand old age of 12, she played Tokyo and was given a special award by the Guitar Alliance of Japan.

Yang is hailed as a music pioneer and one of the world's finest classical guitarists. Born in Beijing, she was the ever guitarist in China to enter a music school (Beijing's Central Conservatoire of Music), and became the first Chinese guitarist to launch an international professional career.

Now based in the UK, she records exclusively for EMI, now Warner Classics. For Sage Gateshead’s tenth anniversary Guitar Festival 2014 . Xuefei will play a repertoire from Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo, JS Bach's mighty Chaconne from Partita No. 2 (originally for solo violin) and the World Premieres of a new IGF commission by Philip Cashian.

Her guitar recital at Sage Gateshead will be preceded by a short recital by Young Artist Platform, supported by London International Guitar Competition (2013) winner, Mikkel Egelund Nielson.

  • Sunday October 19 - Sage Gateshead - Hall Two, Box Office: 0191-443-4661 sagegateshead.com