OLIVER YU DUO

biography of the artists

John Oliver, guitars, composition
Oliver was born in Vancouver, started playing guitar at the age of 8 and writing music at the age of 12 while developing other talents on wind instruments and percussion. He studied guitar and composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where American composer John Adams encouraged him to write music. After further studies at UBC and McGill (where he received a doctorate in composition), Oliver went on to form several new music ensembles in Montreal and Vancouver that specialize in the mixture of acoustic instruments with electronics, and also toured a solo program of music with guitars and computer during the 1990s (now renewed as a surround-sound project in the past few years).

John Oliver came to international attention as a composer during 1988/89 when he won six prizes for five compositions ranging from chamber to orchestral to electroacoustic music. He won the Canada Council's Grand Prize at the 8th CBC 8th National Competition for Young Composers. His music has been presented at many international festivals in Europe and the Americas and has been performed across Canada by the Canadian Opera Company, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony, the CBC Radio Orchestra, Vancouver New Music, the St. Lawrence String Quartet, among others. His music appears on CDs from empreintes DIGITALes, earsay, CBC Records, ZaDiscs, SNE and McGill University Records.

Zhi Min Yu, zhongruan
Yu was born in Beijing, China. She started learning pipa at an early age. While studying as a student, she was chosen to perform for foreign states' guests and leaders. Yu joined the China Broadcast Performing Arts Troupe and became very active in Beijing. Yu also performed in the Asian Arts Festival in Hong Kong and Japan. Later, she went to Japan again to organize a Chinese Folkloric Troupe. Yu was recognized as an ambassador of Chinese folk arts in Japan and always appeared on NHK television.

Later, she immigrated to Canada where she continues her musical career. She plays in many groups and has performed in major cities in Canada and the United States and had concert tours in Britain, France, Hawaii and Hong Kong. She has performed in festivals worldwide and appeared on many CD and broadcast recordings for CBC radio and television, BBC, Songlines, and others.