Ji Jingjing | Basoon Teacher
JI Jingjing is a Chinese Bassoonist with intensive study and performance experience in Germany. As a soloist, chamber music player and Principal Bassoonist at China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra (China NCPA Orchestra), JI Jingjing has been actively performing domestically and internationally and has been noted by musicians around the world.
In 2002, JI Jingjing began his professional career only at the age of 19. As the first Chinese Bassoonist who performed in the concert hall at Hochschule für Musik Saar, Germany, it had created a sensation in Germany, the country known as the land of classical music. The Bassoonist Maestro and Educator Professor Marc Engelhardt remarked that “JI Jingjing is a ‘new star’ in the Bassoon field and would greatly contribute to the development of Bassoon performance in China. The oboist Professor Amin Aussen was amazed by JI Jingjing’s talent in understanding German classical music.
From 2003 to 2006, JI Jingjing was invited by Schluss Kirche Germany multiple times to hold recitals and performed Bach’s compositions. This had changed the pattern of only inviting European musicians to the performance. In 2004, JI Jingjing was invited by Homburg Symphony Orchestra to perform “Kreutzer’s Variationen für Fagott und Orchester”. Conductor Voss complimented JI Jingjing is one of the most talented Bassoonists in China. In 2005, JI Jingjing was selected among hundreds of musicians and attended “Russian Rhythms” in Saarland, Germany to perform his recital.
JI Jingjing was devoted to chamber music performance when he studied and worked in Germany. In 2003, “Asia Quintett” and “Asia Quartett” were founded by JI Jingjing while he was studying in Germany. He was also a member of “Asia Trio” and “Asia Duett”, which were frequently invited by Chamber Music Concert Halls and Churches, performing around Germany. The classical clarinetist and chamber music educator Professor Eduard Brunner complimented that the members are fundamental to the development of Asian Chamber Music, and are also the contributing factor of making Chamber Music universal in Asia. In 2008, Professor Eduard Brunner invited JI Jingjing to join his nonet to perform Chamber Music Concert with eight highly respected musicians. This concert, also received by the then Minister-President of Saarland, was remarked by the media as “a marvellous and enjoyable experience”.
In 2009, JI Jingjing was invited by China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and attended the Concert of the outstanding musicians with Chinese background studied and worked in Germany. Later on, JI Jingjing held multiple concerts in China which were well received by the peers in the industry. In 2012, JI Jingjing collaborated with Conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy and performed in China National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) together with the China National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra. In 2013, JI Jingjing performed Richard Strauss’ chamber music pieces as a soloist.
JI Jingjing gained his talent and reputation throughout years of practice and experience in numerous performances. During the summer of 2002, as the Principal Bassoonist, JI Jingjing went to Italy, The Netherlands, and Belgium with Conductor Helmut Riling and Bach Youth Symphony Orchestra for tour performances. In 2004, as a resident member and Principal Bassoonist of The National Youth Orchestra of Germany, JI Jingjing performed “Symphony No. 7” by Gustav Mahler and “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky with the orchestra. He also collaborated with Conductor Adam Fischer and Peter Eotvos, giving tour performances in Europe. JI Jingjing became the first Chinese Bassoonist performed in the orchestra for the past twenty years.
From 2004 to 2005, JI Jingjing received a special offer from Theatre Augsburg/The Staatstheater Augsburg during the time he was completing his degree. In 2007, JI Jingjing was appointed as Principal Bassoonist at The German Rhine Philharmonic Orchestra JI Jingjing was invited as guest Principal Bassoonist by several domestic and international orchestras.
As the first and current Principal Bassoonist at China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra, JI Jingjing has been noted by several conductors including Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Günther Herbig, Myung-Whun Chung, Christoph Eschenbach, Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Joe Hisaishi, CHEN Zuohuang, Lü Jia and ZHANG Guoyong. JI Jingjing has also collaborated with numerous world-renowned soloists, including classical pianist Rudolf Buchbinder, operatic baritone Leo Nucci, opera singer and conductor Plácido Domingo, pianist LANG Lang, LI Biao, operatic soprano HE Hui, violinist Lü Siqing, violinist NING Feng and classical clarinetist Sabine Meyer.
In 2013, JI Jingjing was rewarded by Conductor Lorin Maazel and 12 principals from Berliner Philharmoniker while they joined China National Centre for the Performing Arts Orchestra to perform “The Ring” without Words - Maazel. In 2018, JI Jingjing attended Beijing and Hongkong chamber music tour performance with the Principals of Woodwind from Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Since appointed as the Principal Bassoonist, JI Jingjing performs around 20 symphonies and 7 operas every year and maintains a high standard of his performance.
