Guo Yue is a Chinese flautist and player of the dizi, the Chinese bamboo flute, as well as the bawu, a Chinese free reed pipe. Born in Beijing in 1958, he grows up during the Cultural Revolution. He later leaves China in 1982 and studies the silver flute at the Guildhall School of Music in London, with support from his third sister Yan, who lives in England. He is based in London and records for Peter Gabriel’s Real World label.

Career

After relocating to England, Guo Yue composes, arranges, performs and records traditional Chinese music. He also plays a wide range of bamboo flutes. In addition to music, his other major interest is cooking, and he often combines cooking with flute performances in concert.

He works as a soloist from 1990, writing his own music. From 2003 he works in Shan Qi with Giovanni Amighetti, Helge A. Norbakken, Guido Ponzini, Wu Fei and Gjermund Silset. He also collaborates with musicians and composers from Africa, Italy and Japan, and works with Peter Gabriel, Sinéad O'Connor and Hothouse Flowers.

Collaborations and recordings

In 1990 he records Yuan for Real World with his brother Guo Yi, who plays the sheng, and the album also features the voice of his second sister Xuan. Together as The Guo Brothers, they perform at international festivals and concerts, including WOMAD festivals around the world.

In 1992 he records Trisan for Real World with Japanese taiko drummer Joji Hirota and Irish singer and composer Pol Brennan; the album wins an American instrumental award. In 1995 he and Joji Hirota record Red Ribbon. In 1999 he performs his bamboo flute concerto My Peking Alley with the BBC Concert Orchestra at WOMAD in Reading.

Family

Guo Yue performs and records with family members through The Guo Brothers project, alongside his brother Guo Yi and contributions from his sister Xuan on Yuan. His sister Yan is part of the reason he is able to study in England after leaving China.