By: Shiwei Gu

Part of the WIYAMS ARTIST Interview Series, highlighting outstanding young musicians from around the world.

Chinese violinist Xiang Fang is an internationally active performer and educator, and a Doctor of Music candidate at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studies under Professor Mark Kaplan with minors in Music Theory and Music Education. Devoted to connecting people across cultures and generations, Fang views music as a universal bridge — a language that unites people through shared emotion and beauty.

Early Path and Musical Formation

Fang’s musical life has evolved through three distinct stages. Born in Changsha, Hunan Province, she began electronic piano classes at four and violin at five, introduced by her father. When she was ten, her father left his position as a mathematics professor to take her to Beijing, where she was admitted to the Middle School attached to the Central Conservatory of Music and studied under Professor Zhao Wei. Her mother’s sacrifice in remaining in their hometown to support the family became a lasting source of motivation.

By eighteen, Fang began performing internationally. Her chamber duo with accordionist Hanzhi Wang won First Prize in the Chamber Music Category at the Castelfidardo International Accordion Competition in Italy, earning recognition from China’s Ministry of Culture and a nationally released music album. She later studied at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with Professor Marilyn McDonald on a full-ride scholarship, and earned her Master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University under Professors Cyrus Forough and William van der Sloot.

Expanding Horizons

In 2024, Fang and pianist Heyue Zhang formed Duo Psuché, touring China with their concert series Songs of Nation’s Spirits at the Beijing Concert Hall, Changsha Bechstein Music Hall, and Nanjing Normal University. The series, which explored cultural dialogue through music, was featured on the front page of Music Weekly. The duo later won the Silver Prize in the Chamber Music Category at the 9th Manhattan International Music Competition in 2025.

In 2025, Fang performed at the Scotia Festival of Music in Canada as a young artist and the Lake Garda Music Festival in Italy, alongside concerts across China, further establishing her as a music ambassador between cultures and musical traditions.

A Memorable Washington Debut

In 2025, Xiang Fang was recognized as a WIYAMS Artist by the Washington International Young Artists Music Series (WIYAMS), an honor reserved for outstanding young musicians who embody artistic excellence and cross-cultural dialogue.

 As part of the 2025 season, she performed the first movement of Gabriel Fauré’s Violin Sonata No. 1 at a music salon hosted by the Embassy of Bulgaria in Washington, D.C., on October 3.

After driving more than ten hours from Indiana, Fang arrived in Washington, D.C., a city that, in her words, embodies a harmony between natural beauty and historical legacy. The concert, curated with both intimacy and grandeur, took place in the elegant neoclassical setting of the Bulgarian Embassy, a venue that enhanced the evening’s romantic atmosphere. Fang expressed deep gratitude to WIYAMS for the opportunity, calling the experience a reminder that “music can transcend borders and unite people through shared emotion.”

Artistic Philosophy and Vision

Fang’s artistry embraces diversity and transformation. Her repertoire spans a wide range of styles, cultures, and historical periods. In the Songs of Nation’s Spirits concert series, she introduced Chinese audiences to Béla Bartók’s Violin Sonata No. 1 for the first time and has since performed his complete violin repertoire.

She views the musician as a vessel — continually nourished by music, culture, and life. “To remain truly alive as an artist,” she believes, “is to stay open to change, connection, and discovery.” Her playing seeks to reveal not only the composer’s voice but also the dialogue between history and the present moment.

Looking Ahead

With several concerts already scheduled for 2026 in China and the United States, Fang continues to balance her performing career with a growing teaching practice. Her hybrid instructional model, which integrates online and in-person learning, has guided students from the Suzuki level to top high school-level youth orchestras within a year, including the Georgia All-State Youth Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra, Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Greater Miami Youth Symphony.

Through performance and education, Fang hopes to inspire reflection and connection. She believes that music, as an emotional language, not only expresses the artist’s inner world but also revives history, memory, and culture — becoming “a living transmission of life through time.”

For Xiang Fang, being a musician and WIYAMS ARTIST means carrying forward the spirit of connection — where beauty, culture, and humanity meet through sound. Every performance becomes a living dialogue across borders and generations, a moment where art renews itself in the hearts of those who listen.