GBCCA Chinese Music Ensemble Presents a Suona Seminar Given by Guo Yazhi

By GBCCA Chinese Music Ensemble

Mr. Guo is a renowned suona soloist, and former principal suona of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. This seminar is co-sponsored by Harvard Tea Party.

Saturday, December 1st
2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Science Center, Lecture Hall A, Harvard University
1 Oxford St. Cambridge, MA (Map: map.harvard.edu/?bld=04420 )
Free Admission

Guo was the chief suona musician of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, founding president of Hong Kong Suona Association, National Band Music Research Director of Chinese Musician Association, meanwhile employed by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the Chinese University of Hong Kong as a guest instructor.

This photo of Mr. Guo was taken in April 2012 at Berklee College of Music by David Li.

Education Background

In the age of nine Guo started learning French horn, five years later he was admitted to Jinzhong Art School in Shanxi province, where he received systematic education in erguxuan and suona. In 1986 he was enrolled by the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music, under the supervision of Professor Chen Jiaqi and Mr Hu Haiquan, the suona maestro. After graduation with distinction results he was offered a lecture position and later in 1999, recruited by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra as the principal suona performer.

Instrument Innovation Apart from the musical performance, Guo contributed in the improvement of suona instrument in 1993. He invented the ‘moving reed’ device, which made the traditional suona instrument able to change in all tunings and perform spontaneous change tuning. This breakthrough was lately recognized by Science and Technology Progress Award, issued by the State Ministry of Culture, currently it has become an irreplaceable device to all suona players. International Honors

In 1998, Guo went to New York and participate in the International Pro Musics Awards, founded by the Frenchman, Father E. Merlet, on the occasion when it first included Chinese musical instruments as one of its categories. Guo walked away with the major prize at the final by playing six Chinese woodwind instruments, lately reported by the Overseas Chinese Daily that "he has taken an important first step in opening the door to the world of Chinese folk music." In the same year, he was selected by the Ministry of Culture as China’s most Outstanding Musicians.

Mr. Guo was invited to give solo performance during President Clinton’s state visit to Beijing in June 1998. In that state concert, Guo played reflections of the moon on the water and Chelsea morning by using suona and saxophone respectively. He received a warm appreciation from both President Jiang of China and President Client, both of them huge music fans. Media Comments “His melodious tremolo is highly expressive” -- Washington Post “A brilliant performing artist” -- La Tribune de Genève “Every note he plays moves to the audiences” -- Hong Kong Economic Times “Haven’t heard long enough, not willing to leave either, my emotion was taken away a whole night long.”