Chuyuan Huang's First Video Session at GSI

Chuyuan Huang just visited our showroom to record five videos. He is only 17 but was able to receive high prizes in prestigious international competitions, such as the third prize obtained at the International Young Competition hosted by GFA. His set spans from Early Music to 20th Century music, showing his versatility and mastery of different techniques.

A piece he recorded is “Fantasia P.71” by John Dowland, one of the most admired examples of his instrumental writing and a cornerstone of the Renaissance lute repertory. Frequently performed today on classical guitar, this piece is closer in spirit to a vocal motet or ricercar than to a dance. A short melodic idea is introduced and then passed between voices, creating a sense of continuous dialogue. He played this piece on a 2025 Andy Culpepper guitar.

Another piece he played is the very famous “La Gran Sarabanda” by Leo Brouwer. One of his most compelling solo guitar works, combining historical reference with a modern, deeply expressive musical language. The title alludes to the sarabande, a slow, stately dance traditionally in triple meter, associated with solemnity and introspection. Brouwer does not imitate Baroque style literally; instead, he reimagines the sarabande through a contemporary lens, blending historical gestures with modern harmony and texture. He recorded this piece on a 2022 Kathrin Hauser guitar.

Moreover, he recorded the “Etude no.7” by Heitor Villa-Lobos. Villa-Lobos composed the Twelve Études in Paris and dedicated them to Andrés Segovia, with the aim of expanding the technical and expressive possibilities of the modern classical guitar. This étude has a restless, dramatic intensity. Built largely from fast, slurred scalar figures, it creates the impression of an unstoppable forward drive. The harmony is tonal but highly colored, with chromatic inflections and bold modulations that heighten the tension. For this piece he used a 2025 Yulong Guo “Torres SE 124” guitar.

Finally, he recorded two videos featuring the first and third movement of “Aquarelle” suite written by Sergio Assad. The suite reflects Assad’s deep roots in Brazilian musical language, blended with classical forms and modern harmonic sensibilities. Rather than evoking specific scenes, the title suggests an aesthetic approach: transparency, fluidity, and subtle gradations of color. Like watercolor painting. The first movement, Divertimento, is light, playful, and rhythmical, and it showcases Assad’s predilection for melody and groove. The Preludio e Toccatina is the most virtuosic. It begins with a free, improvisatory Preludio, exploring color and resonance, and transitions into a driving Toccatina filled with rapid figuration and rhythmic energy. He played these two movements respectively on a 2024 Stefan Nitschke and on a 2025 Teodoro Perez guitar.