Teen Fluting News from Chine with Leyi Xu

I was born in 2010 and am currently 15 years old. I come from Guizhou, a beautiful mountainous province in southwestern China. At the age of 12, I moved to Shanghai to study and live. In 2023, I was admitted to the Music Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music as the top-ranked student in my major, and I am now in Grade 10.

Around 2017, my parents thought I should learn an instrument, so they found me a piano teacher. At that time, however, I was not particularly interested in the piano. Later, I met my first flute teacher, a warm and gentle person who inspired me to develop a strong interest in the flute. From then on, I began learning the flute and have continued ever since.

In the future, after completing my studies, I hope to have the opportunity to join a professional orchestra in the United States or Europe and perform in more cities around the world. I also hope to continue learning through competitions, music festivals, and masterclasses, where I can meet outstanding musicians, experience different musical environments and cultures, continue improving myself, and share my music with more people.

The next six months will be both busy and exciting for me. I will continue studying in Shanghai and participate in several masterclasses. In early October, I will travel to Guangzhou to take part in the Chinese national final of an Italian international competition. On October 20, I will celebrate my 16th birthday. In early November, I plan to travel to Germany to study, visit music conservatories, and attend concerts by several renowned orchestras.

After returning to China, I will perform at my school’s 75th anniversary concert on November 26 as principal flute of the orchestra of the Music Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music. I am very much looking forward to this performance. On November 28, I will also perform Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade with the renowned Chinese conductor Maestro Muhai Tang and the Musical Prodigy Search student orchestra. This is the same orchestra with which I previously performed the “Volière” movement from Saint-Saëns’s The Carnival of the Animals.

After that, I will prepare for my semester exams before returning to my hometown to celebrate Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, with my family. For me, Spring Festival has always been one of the liveliest times of the year.

The people who inspire me most in life are my family, my friends, my teachers, and the musicians I admire. Each of them has influenced me in a different way. My family has always given me support and strength. My friends allow me to experience the joy of life outside my busy schedule of studying and practicing. My teachers have not only taught me how to make music, but have also encouraged me to think about how much further I can go. The musicians I admire show me how far music can reach, and they inspire me to maintain my love for music and my excitement for the future.

My first flute teacher was Xiong Xiao, a flute teacher at Guizhou Normal University who received her master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University. My second teacher was Professor Dazhi Yang of Guizhou University, Honorary Lifetime President of the Guizhou Flute Association. My third teacher was Yi Xiang, Co-Principal Flute of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, who received her doctorate from the Eastman School of Music. I currently study in Shanghai with Professor Meixiang Piao of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, who is also a jury member of the Kobe International Flute Competition.

In addition, I have had the opportunity to study and exchange ideas with many outstanding musicians and professors around the world, including Jeffrey Khaner, professor at the Curtis Institute of Music; Bonita Boyd, professor at the Eastman School of Music; Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, Principal Flute of the Berlin Philharmonic; Michael Martin Kofler, Principal Flute of the Munich Philharmonic; Andrea Oliva, Principal Flute of the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia; and Vincent Lucas, Principal Flute of the Orchestre de Paris.

Each teacher has a different teaching approach and musical style. Some are particularly good at listening, while others prefer to demonstrate ideas to help me understand. However, every one of them has given me valuable advice, including new ways of thinking about music, specific approaches to practicing, and guidance for my future development. I am deeply grateful to every teacher who has taught me, because each of them has left an important mark on my musical journey.

Besides being a flutist, I have another identity that is very special to me: I am an aviation enthusiast. I have always been fascinated by airplanes and the world behind aviation, and I enjoy keeping a record of my flying experiences. During my travels, I have had several opportunities to visit the cockpit, which has made me even more passionate about flying.

My favourite musician, Daniel Harding, is especially important to me. He is not only a renowned conductor, but also an Air France A320 pilot. He has shown me that music and aviation do not necessarily have to be completely separate worlds. Both require concentration, judgment, courage, and the ability to make decisions at important moments. To me, performing music can sometimes require a little of the same spirit of adventure as flying.

In the future, while pursuing a career as a musician, I also hope to obtain a pilot’s license and eventually become a captain, finding my own way of life between music and aviation.

If I could give advice to young flute students, I would say that the basics are truly important. We should practice our scales, exercises, and études regularly, even when they sometimes feel boring. I didn’t always enjoy them when I was younger, but I have gradually realized how much they help our playing.

I also think chamber music and orchestra playing are very important. Playing with other musicians teaches us to listen, communicate, and understand how our part fits into the whole piece.

Most importantly, never lose your love for music. There will always be difficult days, but enjoying music is what keeps us practicing and moving forward.