Liu Yang

Liu Yang picked up the erhu — China's iconic two-stringed fiddle — at age five in her grandmother's courtyard home in Beijing's hutongs. The erhu's voice, often described as the closest instrument to the human voice, became her way of speaking emotions words could not capture.

Trained at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Liu Yang mastered classical erhu repertoire while also exploring cross-genre collaborations. She has performed at the National Centre for the Performing Arts and collaborated with orchestras across Asia and Europe.

Her performances capture the full emotional range of the erhu — from the galloping energy of "Horse Race" (赛马) to the tender melancholy of "Moon Reflected on Second Spring" (二泉映月). She believes the erhu carries the soul of Chinese musical expression, and she is dedicated to sharing its voice with the world.