Wang Guotong

Wang Guotong

Erhu performer and educator, born in Shandong in 1939. He studied with Jiang Fengzhi and others and graduated from the Central Conservatory of music. He respected his teachers, was studious, diligent, learned from others' strong points, and had the courage to explore. He formed his own unique performance style. His hands were vigorous, bold and powerful, and his voice was mellow and vigorous. His works include nostalgia song, turn over song, galloping in a thousand mile grass plain, etc., and he has compiled the book "nine erhu songs and their performance art requirements" and "erhu Etudes" and other basic teaching materials. He was the chief erhu of China Radio National Orchestra and taught in the Central Conservatory of music.

Character experience

In 1955, he was admitted to the junior class of the Central Conservatory of music. In 1956, at the age of 16, he participated in the National Music Week held in Beijing and played Chu Anhua's erhu song "Village Song", which attracted attention.

In 1958, he was promoted to the Central Conservatory of music and studied under Chen Zhenduo, Ding fan and LAN Yusong.

In 1985, he went to Japan to cooperate with Kansai Symphony Orchestra and played "Erhu Concerto" by Koichi OBU.

In 1960, he stayed in school after graduation and worked as an erhu teacher in the Department of folk music of the Central Conservatory of music. In July 1961, Liu Wenjin's erhu music Sanmenxia imagination was performed for the first time. In the same year, Wang Guotong, who stayed in school, created erhu scale practice, erhu fast bow practice and erhu fingering skill practice, which were the earliest erhu teaching materials after the founding of new China.

In 1972, he was transferred to China Radio National Orchestra as the chief and artistic director of the orchestra.

In 1983, he was transferred back to the Central Conservatory of music as the director of the Department of folk music.

In 1989, with "Er Quan Ying Yue" won the first gold record award of China National Record Corporation.

In June 1991, he was invited to be the director of the Chinese Music Department of the Hong Kong Academy for performing arts.

In 1992, he was awarded the title of "young and middle-aged expert with outstanding contribution" by the Ministry of personnel of the people's Republic of China.

In December 1996, Wang Guotong's erhu concert was held in Hong Kong, showing some of Wang Guotong's erhu works.

In July 2000, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of teaching, an erhu concert for teachers and students was held at the concert hall of Hong Kong Cultural Center.

In 2005, he published Liu Tianhua's erhu music: Wang Guotong's performance score and its interpretation.

In April 2008, he was invited to attend a concert at Stanford University in the United States; in August, he held the "Wang Guotong Asian tour concert" in Tokyo, Nagoya and Kobe, Japan; he won the "most popular Record Award" of Hong Kong record association with "Wang Guotong erhu music".

In April 2009, an erhu solo concert was held in the concert hall of Chongqing opera house; in May 2009, a concert for Wang Guotong's 60th anniversary as an artist was held in Tianjin Zhonghua theater. In July, erhu solo concerts were held in Kunming Theater and Nieer Grand Theater in Yuxi.

In October 2010, in Hong Kong, Wang Guotong's erhu concert for the 50th anniversary of his teaching was held at the Central Conservatory of music, where he performed "singing in sickness", "hearing lawsuits" and "reflecting the moon in Erquan".

In November 2011, he performed with Taipei National Orchestra.

In June 2014, he performed "Sanmenxia Fantasia" in cooperation with the Central National Orchestra at the National Grand Theater of China.

In September 2015, a concert to commemorate the 120th birthday of Liu Tianhua was held at Gaoshan theatre in Hong Kong; in December 2015, a concert to commemorate the 120th birthday of Liu Tianhua was held at Zhejiang Conservatory of music.

In April 2018, he cooperated with Guangdong National Orchestra to hold a concert and performed the full version of "Er Quan Ying Yue"; in May, he cooperated with conductor Dong Junjie and National Orchestra of Tianjin song and dance theatre to participate in the "time echo" national concert and performed works such as "Er Quan Ying Yue" and "time echo"; in December, he celebrated Wang Guotong's eighth birthday in the concert hall of Hong Kong Performing Arts Center On the 10th birthday, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra held two concerts.

In 2019, he was awarded "outstanding folk music educator" by Chinese National Orchestra Society.

Main works

Music Album

Creative works

Publishing monographs

Performance style

Track range

Wang Guotong's performance of Er Quan Ying Yue skillfully uses the change of string rubbing, the change of bow moving strength, and appropriate glide, decorative sound and other techniques, which not only maintains a Bing's original characteristics and charm, but also has its own uniqueness.

Wang Guotong's performance of the Northern Henan ballad is relatively strong; the bow is broad and solid, vigorous and powerful, bold and powerful, full of pronunciation, vigorous and deep, simple and rigorous in emotion, but full of passion, giving people warm and rough masculinity.

Award winning record

Character evaluation

If we say that Mr. Liu Tianhua is the founder of Erhu art in China, Chen Zhenduo, Jiang Fengzhi and Zhang Rui are the best of the second generation of Erhu art, and Wang Guotong is the first of the third generation of Erhu art. (comments by Zhao Zhen, former president of the Central Conservatory of music, music theorist and educator)

From Wang Guotong's performance, I think he is not only a skillful and experienced performer, but also a deep-rooted and powerful huqin artist. (comments on Peng Xiuwen, conductor)

Mr. Guo Tong has made outstanding contributions to the development of Erhu art by integrating performance, teaching, creation, scientific research and social activities in the field of Erhu art. (comments by Wang cijun, former president of the Central Conservatory of Music)

Chinese PinYin : Wang Guo Tong