Chen Yi

Duo Ye No. 2

        Chen Yi is a remarkable composer who has achieved worldwide acclaim for her many compositions--compositions that seek to reconcile--or at least convincingly meld--the disparate musical styles of East and West.  Born in Guangzhou, China in 1953, she studied violin early on, practicing surreptitiously with a mute upon the advent of the Cultural Revolution.   Ultimately, she had to give up music, owing to her impressment into forced agricultural labor in a variety of locations in China.  After that unfortunate episode in China’s history, she was able to enter the Beijing Conservatory in 1977.  Her career as a composer ensued with great success, culminating in a major, broadcast concert dedicated entirely to her compositions.   She came to the United States in 1986 and studied compo