The world-renowned violist and violinist Jing Yang is the newest star in a constellation of globally famous classical musicians from Kulangsu. It is here on our idyllic island that Jing first began to shape her trademark style. She graduated from the Xiamen Music School and joined the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra at age 15. At the age of 17, Jing left Kulangsu for the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. At age 21, she was accepted by the Royal Academy of Music in London. She then earned a second master of art degree from the Mozarteum in Salzburg. At just 26 years old, Jing was named associate principal violist of the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Prior to this, she had served as viola principal of Camerata Salzburg, World Youth Symphony Orchestra of Italy and the London Soloists Chamber Orchestra. In 2012, Jing returned to her native Xiamen, where she became professor of music at Xiamen University.

In 2016 and 2017, she moved back to Kulangsu and began playing regular concerts at the 600-seat Gulangyu Concert Hall, including four sold-out performances of “Jing & Friends: Love Songs from the World to Kulangsu.”

Yang Jing has performed in more than 20 countries in four continents. She has won many awards at a variety of world violin and viola competitions, including first prize at the Althur Bliss Works Competition in England, second prize at the Bodensee International Viola Competition in Germany, second prize at the Lionel Tertis Viola Competition in Austria, and second prize at the Bled Viola International Competition in Slovenia.

Yang Jing is now in the process of founding the Kulangsu Academy of Music, a new music school on Kulangsu whose goal is to become one of the world’s premier preparatory classical music institutions.

Yang Jing lives on Kulangsu. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram, and watch the video of her performance of Li Zili’s “Peace Concerto” for five-string soprano viola and orchestra, with the Xiamen Philharmonic in honor of BRICS on August 25, 2017, on YouTube here.