Recently, when a reporter met Xiong Qi in Changsha University, he was rehearsing nervously with his students. Some of these 20 students have been admitted to China Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Conservatory of Music and other major conservatories in China, and some have graduated from graduate schools.

Hunan's first doctor of national instrumental music

In July 2019, Xiong Qi was admitted to China Conservatory of Music and became the first doctor of folk instrumental music performance in Hunan. At the same time, Xiong Qi has set a new goal for himself: through his own study and research, he can explore new knowledge and new ways of practical value for the development of erhu art, and bring a broader space for professional development.

Xiong Qi began to learn erhu at the age of 8, and won the first prize of group A of the first erhu solo competition in Hunan Province at the age of 12. In 2002, he was admitted to China Conservatory of Music, the highest institution of music in China, with excellent results. In college, he studied under Professor Cao Dewei, a master of erhu, and was admitted to the graduate school with excellent results.

In 2009, after graduating from the China Conservatory of Music as a postgraduate, Xiong Qi gave up the opportunity to stay in Beijing and returned to his hometown of Changsha to become a teacher. When asked why, he firmly said: "I learned the piano in Hunan since childhood, and I also communicated with many excellent erhu students in China. Hunan is a big cultural province, but in terms of national instruments, it is not a strong point. I deeply felt that we need a large number of high caliber talents, so I chose to return to Changsha to continue to contribute my own strength."

At present, Xiong Qi is the director of the Instrumental Music Teaching and Research Section of the Conservatory of Music of Changsha University. In addition to his daily teaching work, he is also the chairman of the Huqin Professional Committee of Hunan Ethnic Orchestra Association. While inheriting Hunan's excellent erhu music culture and building a local music culture brand, the Society is also actively carrying out various forms of erhu knowledge popularization, professional talent training activities, organizing erhu art seminars, large-scale performances, foreign exchanges and other activities, so that Hunan's "erhu people" and works can go abroad and go global. At present, Hunan Huqin Professional Committee has more than 150 erhu teachers and more than 1000 members, all of whom are united through erhu art to contribute to the development of Hunan's erhu art.

Lead national music to a larger stage

This year, Changsha successfully held the first National Music Festival. When talking about this national music festival belonging to Changsha people, Xiong Qi is full of pride. The first National Music Festival in Changsha was hosted by Hunan Ethnic Orchestra Association. It gathered six sub committees, namely, Huqin, Yangqin, Pipa, Zhongruan, Bamboo Flute, and Guzheng, and gave full play to the folk music industry in the province. It also invited top experts from the Central Conservatory of Music, the Chinese Conservatory of Music, and the Chinese Academy of Arts to gather in Xingcheng to play the national music, It brought a wonderful audio-visual feast for the inheritors and fans of national music in Hunan. This first National Music Festival in Changsha shows the cultural name card of Changsha as the "Capital of Media Arts" in the world, and actively practices the Hunan humanistic spirit of daring to be the first.

Xiong Qi said, "Music has no national boundaries. For our creators and performers of erhu art in the new era, it is imperative to take Chinese culture as the matrix, interpret the people's vision of the new era, and create works that meet the aesthetic and practical needs of the masses. We should use the more common music language and technology of the international mainstream society to tell Chinese stories."

I speak for Changsha

Changsha - Star City of Civilization, New Capital of Culture. A famous historical and cultural city, it is also a famous media art city. Three halls and one hall are located on the riverside, with melodious string music; Meixi Lake Art Center, glittering; Tianhan Grand Theater, which has a long history; Hunan Opera and Flower Drum Opera are charming. New era, new literature, new expression, look at Changsha!