Journey to
THE FORBIDDEN CITY

Sylvain Bezia (lazer-electronic harp) and Guo Gan (Chinese harp : Erhu) duet

GUO GAN Biography

Yi-zhen, name of courtesy, is born in China, in the city of Shenyang.
Revealing his characterized elegance and virtuosity, Guo Gan worked around the world to popularize the erhu, traditionalChinese instrument
This is how he acquired an international status offering more particularly the opportunity of playing with prestigious artistssuch as Lang Lang, Didier Lockwood, Yvan Cassar. Gabriel Yared. Jean François Zygel
To emphasize his favorite instrument, Guo Gan masterfully considers any repertory, band, concert hall and audience, withoutlosing his Chinese musical roots.
It is also his way of faithfully remaining the teaching he received in his early youth, from his father, Guo Jun Ming (1940-2010),himself a legendary grand master of erhu.
Guo Gan, graduated from the Shenyang Conservatory, and Professor at the Shenyang Conservatory (in 1995), won the firstreward in the traditional music competition in 1992
In 2001, Guo Gan decides to come up to Paris and develop his musical experiences. He attends the Ecole Nationale de Musiqueat Fresnes where he pursues his training in jazz percussion. He perfects his percussion practice in the company of Vives QuerolMarc and continues to regularly perform more specifically on the European and American festivals scenes.
We heard him with the Orchestra from Paris Opera, those of New York, Prague and China ; we have seen him at Carnegie Hall, in the Avery Fisher Hall, at the Lincoln Center in New York, at the Chicago Symphony Hall or in the Los Angeles Orange CountryHall and at the Victoria Concert. Guo Gan has also performed at the Hall of Geneva, at the Theatre of the Chatelet, at theSalle Gaveau, at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, at the Mogador Theatre, at the Guimet Museum, at the great hall of theUNESCO, at the Cité de la Musique in Paris, at the Opera House in Guangzhou, at the International Exhibition in Shanghai, at the Cannes Festival ...
In addition to his numerous public productions, he also composes music for films of which “L’idole”, “Le Premier Cri”,
“Shao Lin”, “Himalaya” "Ao " .... Finally Guo Gan has worked on albums such as “les 3 violons du monde”, “Paris-Istanbul-Shanghai”,“Yue Luo”, “une seule prise” " Nen Nen Sui Sui " and recorded three albums solo
Guo Gan enjoys an international career in classical or mixed race repertories

GUO Gan (Yi-zhen is his stage name) was born in Shenyang, an industrial city in northern China. He comes from a family of musicians and was attracted to the erhu, a traditional Chinese instrument, very early on. His first lessons were with his father, GUO Junming, a famous erhu soloist, and he began to play in public at four years of age. GUO GAN was fascinated by Western instruments and rounded out his studies by taking up the violin, the cello and the piano while in secondary school (1981-1987). When he was sixteen, he accompanied his father on tour, playing more than 100 concerts in a presentation entitled “Duo for the two-stringed vielle”.
In 1987 he entered the Shenyang Music Conservatory and in 1991 won a prize with honours for his work on the erhu. His thesis subject was: erhu techniques borrowed from the violin. At the same time he studied Chinese and Western percussion instruments and gave a jazz concert for percussion and piano, an unprecedented event at the conservatory.
From 1991 to 1994, GUO Gan performed, often in recital with his erhu and percussion groups, and played for the dance and theater company of Liaoning Province. In 1992, he won first prize in the traditional-music competition of this province.. In 1995, he was named professor of erhu and percussion at the Conservatory of Liaoning Province. The same year, he was one of the founders of a jazz group, GYQ, which is well known in China.
In 2001, GUO Gan decided to come to Paris to enlarge his musical experience and enrolled in the Ecole Nationale de Musique where he continued his training in jazz percussion. and is working on jazz percussion with Vives Querol Marc. He also continues teaching the erhu and giving concerts; he is regularly invited to play in festivals and is often interviewed, especially on radio, to make the charms of the erhu better known.
In 2002, GUO Gan was invited by Gabriel YARED to play in a recording of the music for the film “L’Idole” and was soloist in the opening ceremony of the 55th Cannes Festival.. The same year he formed one of the first Asian jazz bands in Paris – DRAGON JAZZ - and the FAN YIN TRIO which won second prize in the Asian music competition in Belgium.
In 2003, GUO Gan made several recordings with the pianist Colette MERKLEN and did a concert tour with Pascal FAULIOT in France and other European countries to favourable criticism. Subsequently, he was invited to play at UNESCO and with the HUANG HE GROUP/ and CHANG JIANG GROUP .
In 2004, he appeared with the contemporary dance group GANG PENG in DIALOGUES which was chosen for the programme of “The Year of France in China and was invited to play the erhu and the Chinese drum for “The Year of China in France”.
In 2005, GUO GAN was invited by the composer Yvan CASSAR to appear as the erhu soloist in the production of the symphonic poem “l’Encre de Chine” with the Orchestra of the Paris Opera at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. He was also invited by the Chinese filmmaker ZHAN YIMOU to play in concerts given to promote the film “Le secret des poignards volants” and by the Prince of Morocco to give a concert for percussion and erhu. The same year, he published a method for learning to play the erhu.
In 2006, GUO GAN was invited by the violinist Didier LOCKWOOD to play in a concert, “Violons Croisés”. He also played in the ensemble “XVIII-21 Music des Lumières” in France and Spain. He formed a quartet, “Shanghai-Paris-Istanbul” and made several recordings. He gave a concert of traditional music at the Café Satellite and played with the Mathias DUPLESSY Trio .
In 2007, GUO GAN was invited by the violinist Didier LOCKWOOD to play in a concert, “Passport for one Violons”. He also played in the
Paris and you father Guo Jun ming for 3 concert . GUO Gan was invited by compositeur Javier Navarrete and realisateur Jean- Jacques Annaud to play in a recording of the music for the film “Sa Majesté MINOR ’” in May His was invited by compositeur Armand Amar and realisateur Gilles de Maistre to play in a recording of the music for the film “LE PEMIER CRI ”in nov with maitre solistes is Khoomei ( chant diphonique ) Okna Tsahan Zam for duo concert tournée in Belgique and he was invited by chanteur RAPHEL à se produire dans son nouvelle album . ensuite à Paris UNESCO joué concerto de Bach 2 violon avec chef de l’Orchestre Richard Boudarham et l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Prague dans grand concert « Melody for Peace » et en dec Guo Gan joué Bach encore une fois à New York Lincoln Centre Avery Fisher Hall avec l’orchestre St.Luke’s et dans 2éme partie il a aussi joué l’opéra de Rossini « L’Italina in Algeri »..
In 2008, Guo Gan and Lang Lang to play in two concert in Chicago Symphony Hall ...
In 2009 Guo Gan and Lang Lang to play in two concert in New York Carnegie Hall ( Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall) and Los Angeles Orange County Performing Arts Center Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall ) .
Mr. Guo Gan , a magnificent performer, shaped melodies with the expressive contours of vocal lines in Hua Yanjun’s “Moon Reflected on the Er-Quan Spring” and provided flourishes that might give a violinist pause during Huang Haihuai’s “Horse Racing.” --- STEVE SMITH . music critic.
Guo Gan, a magnificent erhu player from northern China whose father taught the ancient two-string instrument to Lang’s father. Guo was a wonder, his erhu sweetly filling the air with an astonishing sweet and sumptuous sonic perfume, which Lang Lang accompanied with exquisite sensitivity and a sense of fun. ----Mark Swed . music critic.
XIHUASHE.(New York ) .
ErHu Player Guo Gan performed a gorgeous Hua Yanjun piece that is slow and poignantly melodic . and « Horse Racing » which was surprisingly reminiscent of Stephen Foster’s « Camptown Races » ----Wang Jiangang
The Orange County Register.
Guo Gan, an erhu player – the erhu is a Chinese string instrument, played with a bow – came on in traditional Chinese robe for two numbers, the plaintive “The Moon Reflected on the Er-Quan Spring,” and the headlong “Horse Racing.” In both, Lang showed himself an unselfish and sensitive accompanist.--- posted by Timothy Mangan, music critic.
GUO GAN has become the emissary of the erhu in France. He has been interviewed by TF1, FR3 and France 4. Everywhere he goes, whether in Europe or USA or in Asia, his mix of Western and Asian musical styles plays to a public that is becoming ever more widespread
SYLVAIN BEZIA Biography

Ne le 26 fevrier 19884 a Perpignan, il passe la plus grande partie de son enfance en Lorraine, ou il decouvre tres jeune la musique. Autodidacte, Sylvain est rapidement attire par le piano et compose ses premieres melodies vers l’age de 16 ans.
Age de 18 ans, il s’engage dans la Gendarmerie Nationale et c’est en fevrier 2006, au 1er Regiment d’Infanterie de la Garde Republicaine a Nanterre au sein duquel il sert, qu’il donne son premier concert devant une centaine de personnes. Ce success est confirme en septembre 2006 lors d’une deuxieme representation ou projections videos et jeux de lumieres se melent aux melodies de ses divers instruments (les synthetiseurs, un Erhu et sa Harpe Laser).
Sylvain multiplie ses apparitions publiques, en concert, lors d’emissions radios ou encore dernierement a la television dans le JT de Canal32.

Courant 2009, il compose la musique du spectacle vivant intitule “Le Mee, Balade” organize par la ville du Mee sur Seine. Cette derniere lui confie plus tard le concert de cloture de la saison culturelle 2009-2010 qui rassemble plus de 350 spectateurs. A cette occasion, il est accompagne de 3 titres par l’artiste Guo Gan ou Erhu, piano et harpe laser entrainent le public dans un beau voyage visuel et musical.


Sylvain s’equipe progressivement en materiels professionnels et possede maintenant son propre home studio grace auquel il produit ses albums “Teleportation” et “Journey to the Forbidden City”.