Qu Jianqing is currently Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s principal Yangqin musician, Committee Member of the Singapore Chinese Instrumental Music Association, Committee Member of the Cimbalom (Yangqin) World Association, Honorary Committee Member of the Yangqin Professional Committee of the China Ethnic Music Society, on top of being the member of the China Musicians’ Association (Shanghai Branch).
Qu Jianqing was born in Shanghai, China, where she began learning yangqin at the age of 9 under the tutelage of Wang You De, and was accepted by the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra at the age of 13 based on her extraordinary musical talent. Over the years, Qu Jianqing has also received tutelage under various Yangqin masters like Xiang Zu Hua, renowned Yangqin performer Pang Bo-er and Zhang Xiao Feng. She also received many awards, such as, Shanghai City “Literary Arts New Talent” Title in 1980, Shanghai City “Striker of the New Long March” Title (and Outstanding Youth) in 1981, China National Ethnic Music Emulation Performance Prize in 1982, 14th “Spring of Shanghai” Outstanding Performance Prize in 1991.
Qu Jianqing has performed in Europe, Asia and America, and has visited many countries like America, France, England, Greece, Switzerland, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Belarus, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan. She is an active participant to many World Yangqin Festival. In 1997 (Belarus), 1999 (Moldova), 2003 (Switzerland), 2005 (Beijing, China), 2011 (Hungary), 2019 (Hefei, China) she represented Singapore to the 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 11th and 15th International Yangqin Convention, and presented recital. In 2006, she was invited to Poland in Chamber Music Festival ‘Arsenal Nights’ to present the Yangqin and chamber music Phoenix with distinguished Wroclaw Chamber Orchestra.
Qu Jianqing is also the premier performer of many influential yangqin music, including The Phoenix (Xu Changjun), Yellow River (Arrangement by Qu Chunquan), Rhapsody on Dinühua (Phoon Yew Tien) etc. She has also recorded four personal albums.
She migrated to Singapore in 1994, and has devoted much attention to music education. She currently teaches in the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, National University of Singapore, National Institute of Education. Her students have won first prize in the Singapore National Chinese Orchestra Soloist Competition for the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels respectively.