A world-renowned classical guitarist will perform a concert featuring music from across the globe in Twickenham on Saturday.
Xuefei Yang, ranked by BBC Music magazine as one of the six best classical guitarists in the last century, will play in the candlelit St Mary’s Church.
She has performed in over 50 countries, and was the first guitarist in China to be allowed into a music school, having grown up following the Cultural Revolution — which banned many Western instruments.
Twickenham Guitar Society founder Alex Brett, who organised the concert, said: “This is like Usain Bolt coming for a jog with the local community, or Lewis Hamilton driving his car down the high street.”
“I messaged her on Facebook and said ‘how about a community concert?’ And she obviously has a good heart and said yes.”
Saturday’s concert will be the society’s biggest yet with over 130 tickets sold so far, compared to a regular attendance of about 80, which Brett attributed to the appeal of seeing Xuefei live.
Xuefei came to the UK in 2000, studying at the Royal Academy of Music before pursuing an international career that led her to perform at the BBC Proms.
She told The Londoners that beginning her career in China was frustrating, with the guitar regarded by her teachers and classmates as an inferior instrument.
“Looking back it was difficult. I’ve come from a country which doesn’t have a tradition with the classical guitar.
“When I was a child I didn’t even know what a guitar was.
“I feel like the guitar chose me rather than me choosing the guitar. It was absolute destiny.”
Notable classical guitarists to have already played at St Mary’s include Laura Snowden, with the society aiming to inspire children, who are given free entry, to take up the instrument.
Xuefei said she was looking forward to the candlelit atmosphere and acoustics of the church, adding: “The best attraction of the classical guitar is the intimacy.
“When you play the guitar you have to hold it with your arms, your legs, your chest. I cannot imagine another instrument with so much attachment to a body.
“I am using the guitar to convey my feelings and the emotions from my heart.”
Such intimate concerts are rare — audiences would typically need to visit an established venue to see an artist as special as Xuefei live, Brett said.
He continued: “Sit anyone down to these concerts and they won’t hate it, even if you’re not an expert something will affect you emotionally, especially live.
“A whole room of people being together sharing something — it’s nice, there is a lot of love in the air.
“Music has to be live.”
Xuefei will perform music from across the world — including South America, Japan, France and Spain — written by composers such as Erik Satie and Ryuichi Sakamoto, alongside her own traditional Chinese arrangements.
She felt the most rewarding part of being an artist was being told that her work had moved or inspired someone in a time of difficulty.
“For me, music is like food for the soul. I have to eat to live, right?”
Tickets are still available for Saturday’s concert, details can be found here.
Featured image credit: Jack Prentice
Join the discussion