Beijing-born Yang Xuefei, 31, is used to critical acclaim. Last month, a reviewer for British radio station Classic FM wrote of her new album, 40 Degrees North: 'Xuefei is a marvellous player and this album is a delightfully entertaining listen.' Named after the latitude on which the capital cities of both China and Spain stand, the album deftly combines classical Spanish melodies and Chinese folk tunes.
'I picked up the guitar by chance,' says Yang. 'I was seven when I started playing.'
At the time, there were few musical resources and few musicians training formally in post-Cultural Revolution Beijing. Occasionally, she listened to the radio or the few tapes she possessed of recordings by modern classical guitarists such as Narciso Yepes, John Williams and John Schneider. 'My dad recorded some Spanish music by Williams and I couldn't stop playing it.'
For Yang to pursue her dream of becoming a professional musician, she needed to attend a conservatory. She gained a place at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she was the first and only student studying for a degree in guitar. '[It] is still a new instrument in China.'
In 2000, she was awarded a full scholarship by the Royal Academy of Music, so she moved to London. Two years later, she graduated with distinction but decided to stay in the British capital, attracted by the city's vibrant arts scene.
'England is a very cosmopolitan place; a home for people from many different nations and cultures. I have been here for eight years and feel at home. As a musician, London is a wonderful place to be - it is one of the cultural centres of the world.'
