Jiaxin Cheng ( zh, c=程嘉欣, links=no, born 2 October 1974) is a Chinese-born cellist.

Career

Cheng graduated from the

Shanghai Conservatory of Music The Shanghai Conservatory of Music () was founded on November 27, 1927, as the first music institution of higher education in China. Its teachers and students have won awards at home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name "the crad ...

, China, in 1997. She was already giving performances with the

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra () is a symphony orchestra in Shanghai, China. Its music director is Yu Long. Founded in 1879, the SSO is the oldest Chinese symphony orchestra. Originally, it was known as the Shanghai Public Band, expanding in 1 ...

but left China for further studies in New Zealand where she received her Master's degree at the

University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...

in 2001. While in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, Cheng was principal cello of the Auckland Chamber Orchestra and played regularly with both the

Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) is a symphony orchestra based in Auckland, New Zealand. Its principal concert venue is the Auckland Town Hall. The APO is the accompanying ensemble for performances by NZ Opera and the Royal New Zeal ...

and the

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the Government of New Zealand, per the New Zealand Symph ...

. With the Auckland Symphony Orchestra she performed cello concertos by Dvořák,

Elgar Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet, (; 2 June 1857 – 23 February 1934) was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestr ...

and Lalo. Cheng was also a founding member of the Aroha String Quartet. Since 2007, Cheng has lived in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

where she has given several recitals. Her performance in April 2008 at

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

with both

Andrew Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in List of countries where English is an official language, English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is freq ...

and

Julian Lloyd Webber Julian Lloyd Webber (born 14 April 1951) is a British solo cellist, conductor and broadcaster, a former principal of Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the founder of the In Harmony music education programme. Early years and education Julian ...

was described as "the emotional highlight of the evening". She appeared as a soloist at the Royal Festival Hall in April 2011 and with Julian Lloyd Webber for BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, CNN Global TV and BBC Television. They have recorded for Universal Classics and

Naxos Naxos (; el, Νάξος, ) is a Greek island and the largest of the Cyclades. It was the centre of archaic Cycladic culture. The island is famous as a source of emery, a rock rich in corundum, which until modern times was one of the best ab ...

and they made further recordings in 2013 as well as touring together with the European Union Chamber Orchestra and

English Chamber Orchestra The English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) is a British chamber orchestra based in London. The full orchestra regularly plays concerts at Cadogan Hall, and their ensemble performs at Wigmore Hall. The orchestra regularly tours in the UK and internationall ...

. Cheng married

in July 2009 (the couple's daughter was born on 14 June 2011). Their first recording together, released in March 2011, was Menotti's Arioso for two cellos and strings, featured on the album ''

The Art of Julian Lloyd Webber ''The Art of Julian Lloyd Webber'' is a 2011 album by Julian Lloyd Webber. Track listing Disc 1 # "Cello Concerto 1st Movement" by Edward Elgar # "The Swan" by Saint-Saëns # "Salut d'amour" by Edward Elgar # "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy # ...

''. Cheng also features on Lloyd Webber's 2011 album '' Evening Songs''. In September 2013, Naxos released their first full-length recording ''

A Tale of Two Cellos ''A Tale of Two Cellos'' is a recording of twenty-one duets for two cellos and piano (or harp) ranging from the sixteenth century, Monteverdi, to the twenty-first century, Arvo Pärt. The recording features cellists Julian Lloyd Webber and his ...

''. This was followed by the

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widesprea ...

concertos for two cellos with the European Union Chamber Orchestra in 2014. Featured on the album ''

Virology Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, th ...

'' by british rock band Symphony Of Pain released in 2019

References

External links

* , Bach Suite No. 1 (

J. S. Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

) * , Tissue No. 2 from '' Naqoyqatsi'' ( Philip Glass) with Pam Chowhan, piano * ,

Cello Sonata A cello sonata is usually a sonata written for solo cello with piano accompaniment. The most famous Romantic-era cello sonatas are those written by Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven. Some of the earliest cello sonatas were written in the 1 ...

( Sergei Rachmaninoff) with Pam Chowhan, piano * , Milonga Del Angel (

Astor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fro ...

), arranged for two cellos and strings {{DEFAULTSORT:Cheng, Jiaxin 1974 births Living people Chinese classical cellists Women classical cellists Chinese expatriates in New Zealand Chinese expatriates in the United Kingdom University of Auckland alumni Lloyd Webber family 20th-century classical musicians 21st-century classical musicians 20th-century Chinese musicians 21st-century Chinese musicians 20th-century Chinese women musicians 21st-century Chinese women musicians 20th-century cellists 21st-century cellists