Zhang Gaoxiang, a famous dulcimer performer, a native of Gurao Town, Chaoyang, Guangdong, a national first-class actor, and the head of the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra. Learning Chaozhou music since childhood, he was admitted to the High School Affiliated to the Guangzhou Conservatory of Music in 1978. After graduating in 1984, he was admitted to the Central Conservatory of Music for an undergraduate degree. After graduating in 1988, he worked in the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra until now.

"Art comes from life, which is a kind of refinement and improvement of life perception. With the unquenchable passion and pursuit of life and art, there will be a continuous source of creation, and will the works have more vitality and connotation. ."

After graduating from the Central Conservatory of Music in 1988, Zhang Gaoxiang joined the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra for more than 20 years. But the road of art, he has traveled nearly 40 years.

His father had the greatest influence on him. Zhang Gaoxiang's father likes Chaozhou music very much. He can play dulcimer, gaohu, etc. He is good at many instruments. When I was very young, my father would often invite many famous Chaoshan musical instruments to play Chaozhou music at home. Zhang Gaoxiang grew up in this atmosphere.

When he was seven or eight years old, his father began to let Zhang Gaoxiang learn dulcimer, and also invited many famous Chaozhou musical instruments to teach him the art. Taking advantage of the winter and summer vacations, his father let him live in the homes of famous musical instruments in Shantou, Chenghai, Dahao and other places to study with them.

"The deepest impression is that my father asked me to get up at 6 o'clock every morning to practice the basic skills, and he personally made me two thin iron bars, and practiced dulcimer for an hour every day. Instead of playing the dulcimer keys, I practiced the basic skills of the wrist with heavier weights, and I continued to practice like this for two years.”

It is said that Zhang Gaoxiang was a very self-conscious and hard-working person when he was three years old, and his parents never had to worry about him, and he did not lose his academic performance while practicing musical instruments. "My childhood experience is very important to my entire music career. I am very grateful to my father and my teachers for cultivating me when I was a child, which has laid a good foundation for my later musical development. This is the first time in my life. a fortune."

The foundation stone of the national orchestra

As a large-scale national orchestra, the China Radio National Orchestra was established in the early days of the founding of New China, which can be said to be a manifestation of New China's achievements in national music culture.

Under the active advocacy and unremitting efforts of Master Peng Xiuwen and many older generation musicians, the "Father of National Orchestral Music", he took the lead in establishing and laying the basic structure of the Chinese National Orchestra based on bowing, plucking, blowing and percussion. , has made a significant contribution to the continuous development and improvement of the National Symphony Orchestra. The China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra has played a very important role in laying the foundation for the development history of the Chinese National Orchestra, and has had a great influence both at home and abroad. The basic structure of the orchestra has been widely referenced or adopted by many professional Chinese music orchestras at home and abroad. .

After decades of continuous development and development, many outstanding groups such as the Central Chinese Orchestra, the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, the Guangdong Chinese Orchestra, the Jinan Chinese Orchestra, and the Jilin Chinese Orchestra have emerged in China. development trend.

"Chinese orchestras play a very important role in the development of Chinese national instrumental music. The expressiveness of large-scale Chinese orchestras can better reflect major historical events, the spiritual outlook and thoughts and feelings of the people, and can express our music more comprehensively and magnificently. National spirit. The development of the national orchestra is an important part of the current development of Chinese national music and plays a positive role.”

The mission of the times

"Any art form needs innovation, and innovation is a continuation of art"

Today, China has a large number of classic works that reflect Chinese traditional culture, spiritual outlook and life taste, such as "Er Spring Reflecting the Moon", "Spring River Flower Moon Night", "Dance of Yao Nationality", "Backgammon", "Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon", etc. A repertoire often reserved by the orchestra. However, with the development of the times, especially since the reform and opening up, great changes have taken place in people's aesthetics, life rhythm, thoughts and feelings. As an art form, folk music must have some works that better reflect and conform to this era.

In June 2012, the China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra performed a concert with Tan Dun at the National Centre for the Performing Arts. One of the concertos, "Vocal Concerto", was based on the traditional Chinese philosophy of "harmony between man and nature". The troupe and 12 birds performed an impromptu "dialogue" on the same stage. "I think this concept and form is also a kind of exploration and innovation." Zhang Gaoxiang said,

"Any art form requires innovation, and innovation is a continuation of art. A large number of very influential contemporary composers such as Zhao Jiping, Tan Dun, Guo Wenjing, and Tang Jianping have created a large number of works that reflect the spirit of this era. We have just selected twelve classic works that are representative of the country in the past 30 years since the reform and opening up, and from a certain perspective, these works also reflect the development of our national orchestra."

How to innovate in the original form of music, put Chinese folk music in a modern and global perspective to reinterpret traditional music, and use folk music to reflect the spirit of China's new era, all of which require a spirit of innovation.

"We hope to have more innovations from different angles to be close to this era, close to the people, and reflect the spiritual outlook of this era. This is also the direction our orchestra has been striving to move forward, and it is also a mission of the times that we shoulder."

Rationality behind sensibility

"Art needs talent, but talent alone is not enough. I think success comes from rigor and diligence"

In the eyes of many people, he is "the always energetic Zhang Gaoxiang" - gentle and elegant, approachable, funny and talkative, and it seems that he has endless energy every day.

"Actually, the so-called energetic, the motivation all comes from the pursuit of art." Zhang Gaoxiang at work is an absolutely rigorous person. Many people still remember the audio-visual feast of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Shantou Special Economic Zone in 2011. As the general director of the party, Zhang Gaoxiang led the planning team of Beijing Chaoxing Culture Communication Co., Ltd. to fight continuously, and his dedication The spirit makes everyone respect and admire: keep improving, the host draft of the party has been revised sixteen times;

"Everyone may think that people who do art are emotional, but in fact, behind our sensibility, there is more rationality. For example, when we do a party, we must have a grasp of the structure, the control of the links, and the control of each The finesse of the details, these need to be very geographical to reach a certain level of art.”

"I think that as long as you are engaged in things related to art, you must be rigorous. You must have a sense of awe for art in your heart, and do art with rigorous and unabated enthusiasm. When your pursuits are rewarded, that happiness comes from the heart. And contentment cannot be expressed in words.”

As a national-level Chinese orchestra, the China Radio Chinese Orchestra bears the responsibility for the development of national music. The direction of business construction, musical instrument reform, talent training, and creation of works are all things that Zhang Gaoxiang, the head of the group, needs to work on. Usually the management of the orchestra is also very trivial and complicated, occupying a lot of his time and energy.

"I think the two can be arranged reasonably. It is necessary to maintain strong creativity and have space for their own learning and thinking, and at the same time to do a good job in management. The key is how to allocate them reasonably. From another point of view, the orchestra will continue to To be able to develop better and create more and better works is also an achievement.”

Tale of the art world

Zhang Gaoxiang and Jiang Kemei, a well-known huqin player at home and abroad, are not only a loving couple, but also like-minded colleagues, and they have both achieved great achievements in the field of art.

"We are classmates in the university, and we are also engaged in the performance of Chinese national instrumental music. We have a lot of common language with each other." Referring to his wife Jiang Kemei, Zhang Gaoxiang's smile gradually deepened, "We have shared a common career pursuit along the way. I am very satisfied and cherish the mutual support and understanding in my career. Her support for me also moved me very much, especially since I became the head of the group, I have a lot of transactional work and a lot of free time. Career-wise, she understands me very well, which is important."

Jiang Kemei is a native of the Northeast, with the arrogance of a northerner, and influenced by Zhang Gaoxiang, he also possesses the unique delicacy of a southerner. Every time she plays, she always plays the violin with one hand, raises her skirt with the other, and walks onto the stage with her head lowered slightly. In a mysterious realm, as if the world was only left with her and the piano in her hand.

Jiang Kemei in life is an approachable, peaceful and elegant person. "She is not impetuous in life, and is not in a hurry for quick success. Based on her own pursuit, she does everything in a down-to-earth manner. She is simple and persistent, and she puts all her energy into the pursuit of her beloved huqin art."

Zhang Gaoxiang cooks authentic Teochew cuisine. Influenced by her husband, Jiang Kemei also likes Teochew cuisine. She has great identification with Chaoshan traditions such as the concept of family in Chaoshan, the details of dealing with people, the care and consideration for the relationship between flesh and blood.

This enviable couple in the art world also has a common ideal.

"Chinese national music culture is comparable to Western music culture. China knows a lot about Western music culture, on the contrary, the West has very little understanding of Chinese national music culture. Both of us want to do our best, hope We can make some contributions to the exploration of folk music, so that folk music can be better spread all over the world, so that more people can understand and like our folk music, recognize our Chinese culture, and understand the spiritual outlook of new China. It is a goal we are very much looking forward to in our hearts and will work hard for our whole life.”