CGC 077 : The Beijing Guitar Duo

In this lesson

Yameng Wang and Meng Su, the Beijing Guitar Duo, join Simon Powis after a New York performance to discuss the education behind their playing. Their stories connect early lessons in Qingdao, intensive work with Professor Chen Zhi, and further study with Manuel Barrueco at Peabody.

The interview offers a view of demanding preparation, shared musical foundations and continued technical development. It also reaches beyond the practice room: the duo discuss building programmes for audiences new to the guitar, visiting schools and the distinct skills involved in teaching beginners.

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Originally published in 2018. These listening notes draw on the recorded conversation. Roles, projects, releases and event announcements refer to the time of recording. Practical reflections are suggested applications, not additional quotations from the guest.

Explore the conversation

Use these approximate timestamps to jump to a topic in the recording.

• 4:41 — The foundations included reading, singing and careful preparation
• 8:51 — High standards need a sense of balance
• 14:24 — Turn a large piece into clear practice tasks
• 20:29 — A shared background helped the duo develop
• 25:20 — An established player can still learn a new technical approach
• 28:06 — Maintain technique by listening to its result
• 31:32 — Build programmes for the people in the room
• 35:05 — Share the guitar through teaching and outreach

The foundations included reading, singing and careful preparation

Both musicians recall beginning with the same local teacher before studying with Chen Zhi. Their early education included notation, singing and guitar playing. Musical literacy and practical work developed together.

They describe that first teacher as exceptionally strict and speak frankly about the pressure in lessons. These memories should be read alongside their later discussion of balance. The useful educational question is how to develop care and preparation without assuming that distress is a necessary part of learning.

One lasting expectation was to prepare thoroughly before a lesson. Rather than arriving with problems that could already have been addressed independently, they tried to bring their best available work and then learn from what the teacher could add. For a student at any level, this can mean checking the assigned material and arriving with a clear question.

High standards need a sense of balance

“I think it’s a balance issue.”

— Beijing Guitar Duo, 8:51

Asked whether those early standards remained part of their own practice, the conversation turns to the difference between demanding work and pushing too far. Care, detail and ambition matter, but so does the way a musician treats the process.

This distinction is particularly relevant when listeners hear an exceptionally polished concert. The finished performance can conceal years of preparation, individual differences and the practical support that made the work possible.

A useful application is to define a realistic standard for the task in front of you. That might be a secure rhythm at a modest tempo or a clear melody in four bars. Prepare that task as well as you can, then use the lesson to discover the next step. High standards become more useful when they are specific.

Turn a large piece into clear practice tasks

Yameng recalls long train journeys with her mother for lessons in Beijing and, later, periods of intensive preparation. The discussion shows how much family commitment and time stood behind the musical progress.

Chen Zhi’s organisation included a notebook, metronome markings and repetitions. Difficult passages were taken out of the piece and worked on separately, with clear instructions about the task. The metronome helped make a tempo instruction concrete rather than leaving a young player to guess what ‘slow’ meant.

Those details describe their training, not a prescription to copy its hours or exact tempo schedule. The transferable idea is to identify the passage, choose an attainable tempo and decide what you are listening for. A short, well-defined task is easier to assess than another unfocused run through the whole work.

A shared background helped the duo develop

The two musicians had played together before forming the Beijing Guitar Duo, including shared concerts and occasional duo pieces. At Peabody, Barrueco encouraged them to take the partnership seriously, choose repertoire and develop a programme under a name of their own.

They recognise that similar training contributed to the ensemble. Their sounds were not identical, but they shared enough in their approach to make a strong starting point. The partnership developed through dedicated work rather than simply placing two accomplished soloists together.

For players beginning a duet, the reflection is to talk about shared fundamentals as well as notes: pulse, articulation, phrase direction and the kind of sound you want together. Agreement about those details helps each person understand what to listen for while playing.

An established player can still learn a new technical approach

Barrueco’s early questions about scales and rest stroke prompted a reassessment of technique. The duo explain that their later training in China had strongly favoured free stroke. Hearing his demonstration showed them differences in character and sound that invited further exploration.

The change was not instant. Meng describes rest stroke feeling unfamiliar and needing sustained work; Yameng recalls returning to an approach she had used earlier. Their experiences show that accomplished musicians can still encounter basic movements that require fresh attention.

The important point is the reason for developing the skill. Barrueco demonstrated a musical difference, and the technique provided another expressive option. A student can approach unfamiliar work in the same spirit: listen to what it makes possible, then develop it patiently rather than treating initial awkwardness as a final judgment.

Maintain technique by listening to its result

“the more concerts I play, I realize that the techniques, you have to watch them.”

— Beijing Guitar Duo, 28:12

The discussion includes a daily routine with chromatic scales, rest stroke, dotted rhythms, free-stroke arpeggios and passages drawn from repertoire. Projection and balance are part of the purpose, rather than speed being the only measure.

The musicians also recognise differences in how they experience technique. A movement that one can recover readily may require more conscious analysis for the other. Shared teachers do not make their learning processes identical.

For your own routine, the useful question is what each activity helps you notice. Are the notes balanced? Does the movement remain controlled? Can you hear a continuous line? A routine becomes more informative when its elements have an audible purpose and are adjusted to your current needs.

Build programmes for the people in the room

When Simon asks about challenges, the duo mention programming: finding music that works together and offers a fresh experience. They discuss a programme designed for listeners with less exposure to guitar repertoire, balancing accessibility with musical substance.

Their ambitions include new music and bringing more people into the concert hall. The conversation also touches on the rhythmic appeal of Spanish repertoire and the impact of a convincing, sustained pulse. The audience’s experience is part of the artistic planning.

This offers a useful perspective for a small informal performance too. Think about contrast, length and the listener’s familiarity with the music. A carefully chosen short programme can introduce the instrument more effectively than a sequence selected only for its technical difficulty.

Share the guitar through teaching and outreach

“And when they’re playing ensemble, you can feel that they really enjoy it.”

— Beijing Guitar Duo, 35:59

The duo describe residencies that brought them into public schools as well as conservatories. Some visits involved performances, questions and hearing students play; others used the familiar masterclass format. Encountering young people enjoying ensemble music was rewarding in its own right.

The interview also includes the practical realities of teaching, travel and family life at the time of recording. High-level performance exists alongside ordinary questions about finding practice time and deciding how a child might begin learning music.

Their discussion recognises that teaching complete beginners is a distinct skill. Knowing how to perform advanced music does not automatically supply the best way to introduce notation or first movements to a child. Respect for that early teaching completes the picture of an education built through several stages and several people.

Ideas to take into your own music

These prompts are reflections on the conversation, rather than a routine prescribed by the guest.

1. Prepare a clear task: choose one passage, a manageable tempo and a specific sound or coordination goal.
2. Use the lesson for the next step: check what you can independently and bring a question about what remains.
3. Listen across a duet: compare articulation and pulse with your partner instead of attending only to your own part.
4. Give an unfamiliar technique time: connect it to a musical purpose and allow for a period of adjustment.
5. Consider your audience: choose a short, varied programme that helps someone new to guitar music enjoy listening.

Original episode notes and resources

The original introduction and resources are retained below. Any time-sensitive announcements belong to the episode’s publication period.

In this episode of The Classical Guitar Corner Podcast, Simon interviews the world-renowned Beijing Guitar Duo, consisting of Yameng Wang and Meng Su. They talk about education and how these phenomenal young guitarists reached the level of playing and musicianship they have, as well as teaching and recording. This is an excellent conversation and a wonderful opportunity to hear from some of the most gifted guitarists of their generation. Please enjoy!

Check out more about The Beijing Guitar Duo at their website. They have recorded three stunning recordings you should definitely check out: Bach to Tan Dun; China West (with Manuel Barrueco); and Maracaipe – Guitar Duos and Solos by Gnattali & Assad.

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