Zhao Duoliang

Zhao Duoliang is a famous huqin virtuoso and music teacher. He is Vice President of the Erhu Society under the Chinese Musicians’ Association, Executive Director of China Nationalities Orchestra Society, Chairman of the Huqin Professional Committee of Liaoning Province, and consultant to the Japan Erhu Promotion Association. He is currently a professor and Head of the Department of Ethnic Instrumental Music at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music, supervisor on its Master’s Degree Programme (Banhu and Erhu-related Studies), and Artistic Director of its Northern Chinese Orchestra. Zhao started learning the violin at the age of seven, but later changed to the specialisms of erhu and banhu, and compositional techniques. His teachers included Xu Shilong, Liu Mingyuan, Tang Yubin and many other virtuosi. He has won numerous awards under more than 30 categories, including the Wenhua Award for Original Composition and the Au Weng-hei Music Education Award presented by the Ministry of Culture. He was on the adjudicating panels of national competitions and awards, such as the Chinese Golden Bell Awards for Music and the Wenhua Awards. He is also a Convener of Schemes of the National Endowment for the Arts in China. As a consummate player of huqins, Zhao has developed innovative playing techniques such as the “left-and-right simultaneous picking”, "fingering for glissandi and vibrato in an overtone environment” etc., and a four-step theory for teaching huqin. He has trained many performers and teachers in higher education institutes.

As a concert artist, Zhao has been invited to give solo recital concerts, talks etc. in many music institutions in China, Japan, the US, Taiwan and other countries and regions, covering the three continents of Asia, Europe and America. His discography includes CD and DVD versions of instrumental solos as well as live recordings of his huqin recitals. As a composer, he has written Three Movements on Northeastern China, Symphonic Picture of Western Hunan, The Legend of the Hand Drum with Handle, Music of Northeastern China etc. His academic publications include On the Art of Banhu, On Indigenous Musical Styles and the Playing Techniques of the Erhu, A New Look at Music Idioms and Ethnic Instrumental Music – An In-depth Look at Its Structure and Theories.