Yang Sin-yu is a young sheng virtuoso from Taiwan and former Assistant Sheng Principal of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. She developed a keen interest in the sheng when she was young, and made up her mind to make her career as a sheng musician. In her ardent pursuit to learn the classical sheng repertoire, Yang won the support of her parents in going almost all parts of mainland China to seek guidance from sheng virtuosi. As a mentee of the famous maestro in sheng, Hu Tianquan, Yang is representative of Hu’s style in Taiwan. While she was in middle school, Yang already won first prize in several major music competitions such as the All Taiwan Regional Competition for Students, the Chinese Music Association of the Republic of China Competition - Sheng Solo category, and the Bronze Bell Awards. In order to hone her performing techniques in sheng, Yang went to Beijing to enroll in the Central Conservatory of Music while she was in university, and graduated cum laude. While at the Conservatory, she was twice awarded scholarships and won a Silver Award at the first Sheng Performance Competition in Beijing organized by the China Nationalities Orchestra Society, a Bronze in lusheng solo for Exotic Instruments of the Ethnic Minorities presented by the Wenhua Arts Institutes Awards, and first prize and Best Stage Presence Award at a sheng competition presented by the National Chinese Orchestra Taiwan under the auspices of the National Center for Traditional Arts in 2014. Yang is recognized for her virtuosity and versatility in playing the full range of the sheng family, including the more exotic lusheng, hulusheng, bawu etc.
