Prof. SONG Fei
President of the Harbin Conservatory of Music

SONG Fei is a globally acclaimed Huqin virtuoso, a distinguished educator, and a mentor to doctoral students. Currently serving as the President of the Harbin Conservatory of Music in China, she also holds the title of Distinguished Professor at the China Conservatory of Music. Her prominent roles include Vice Chairman of the China Musicians Association, Director of the National Music Committee, and President of the National Bowed String Instrument Society. SONG Fei's extraordinary contributions to music and education have earned her multiple prestigious honors, including the Special Contribution Award from the State Council and the title of "Young and Middle-aged Artists with Moral Integrity and Artistic Excellence."

During her career, SONG Fei was awarded numerous accolades, including the First Prize in the Erhu category at the inaugural ART Cup International Competition (1989), the China Golden Record Award (2003), the China Golden Disc Award (2005), one of China's Top Ten Audiophile Albums (2006), the Special Gold Award at the China Audio-Visual Expo (2006), and the Best Album and Best Performance Awards for one of Asia's Top Ten Audiophile Albums (2007), among others.

Since 1995, SONG Fei has given numerous solo performances across China and in countries throughout Asia, Europe, North America, and Oceania. Renowned for her remarkable skill and deeply expressive artistry, she is widely regarded as a world-class performer of Chinese bowed string instruments. Over the years, SONG Fei has visited numerous countries and regions, performing and sharing Chinese music in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Berlin Philharmonic Hall, the Golden Hall in Vienna, and the Sydney Opera House. Her performances have received high praise from audiences worldwide.

From a young age, SONG Fei received rigorous and systematic Erhu training from her father, the renowned Professor Song Guosheng. By the age of 16, her exceptional talent had already gained recognition across China. She further refined her skills under the tutelage of legendary masters such as Liu Mingyuan, Zhang Ziqian, Wang Fandi, An Ruli, and Song Guosheng, mastering not only the Erhu but also other traditional Chinese instruments such as the Guqin and Pipa. Today, she stands as a torchbearer of Chinese bowed string instrument performance, shaping the artistic vision of younger generations.

SONG Fei has premiered over 80 iconic works by renowned composers, including Bamboo Rhythms, Soul of Chu State, Spring Tides in Yan and Zhao Areas, Wild Grass, and Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival. She is the only Erhu artist to have performed and recorded the complete repertoire of Chinese Erhu classics spanning the past century, earning widespread acclaim from music critics. Her concert, "Feast of Strings - Chamber Concert of Thirteen Chinese Instruments," showcased her remarkable versatility, performing on 13 different stringed instruments and demonstrating her deep artistic expertise. Notably, her multimedia performances, such as "Chinese Music and Art: Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" and "Unaccompanied Suite: The Dream of Buddha," have seamlessly integrated modern multimedia stage art with traditional Erhu performances, opening new horizons for the art form. Over the years, SONG Fei has recorded numerous music programs for domestic and international radio and television stations and released more than ten solo albums, including Rivers and Clouds, Great Wall, SONG Fei and the Philharmonic Women, Seeds of Light, Huqin and Huqin, and Erhu Concertos.

In the field of Erhu education, SONG Fei has compiled and recorded a comprehensive series of teaching materials, including SONG Fei's Classic Erhu Teaching Selections, Guide to Famous Chinese Erhu Pieces, How to Play the Erhu, and Chinese Erhu Grading Guide, along with a vast collection of instructional videos. She has also published the monograph Introduction to the Huqin Performance. Additionally, SONG Fei has authored academic papers, such as Twenty Types of Erhu Performance Styles, and published the academic monograph On the Art of the Erhu, where she elaborates on her theories of Erhu performance and pedagogy. Building on the Erhu teaching methods developed by her father, Professor Song Guosheng, SONG Fei has continuously enriched and advanced these methods, developing a comprehensive teaching approach that integrates "hand, mind, heart, and body."

SONG Fei has also pioneered a unique "bilingual" teaching model for the Erhu, which embraces both traditional and modern music styles, as well as elements from Chinese and global music cultures. Her open-minded approach encourages students to understand and appreciate the cultural characteristics of music from different ethnicities, regions, countries, and periods. It enables the students to better express the essence of music through diverse musical languages. To this end, she regularly organizes various forms of "SONG Fei Erhu Master-Student Concerts," conducting teaching demonstrations and tours at academic institutions across China, while also leading her students in studying traditional music from different regions. SONG Fei has nurtured a generation of exceptionally talented students, many of whom have won top awards in national-level professional competitions.

SONG Fei's Erhu performance art is a masterful blend of the finest elements from various schools, seamlessly integrating both traditional and modern styles. Her performances have become exemplary and influential models in the world of Erhu music. Her style emphasizes the meaning, emotion, and charm of the works, delivering performances naturally, fluidly, and gracefully. The media has hailed her as the "Queen of the Erhu" and "one of the most acclaimed contemporary Erhu performers on the international stage." As a highly respected figure in both Chinese and international music communities, SONG Fei's artistic stature and influence have solidified her position as one of the foremost performers of Chinese bowed string instruments. She is widely regarded as a leading figure in the realm of Chinese traditional music performance.