On his debut album, the Chinese ARD prizewinner Diyang Mei presents truly transcendental works for viola solo: The passacaglias and chaconne by Bach, Britten, Ligeti, Biber and Hindemith – a program of great intrinsic luminosity! It is indicative of the mastery and artistic maturity of the multiple competition winner that he has so completely transformed some of the greatest, most profound works of literature. In so doing, he extends far beyond his instrument. A great production! Diyang Mei was born in China in 1994 and began playing the violin at the age of five. From 2005 to 2014 he studied the viola with Shaowu Wang in the Central Conservatory of Music Beijing’s Middle School and has since participated in masterclasses given by well-known virtuosi such as Pinchas Zukerman, Nobuko Imai, Roberto Diaz, Paul Coletti, Thomas Riebl, Valentin Erben and Günther Pichler. As a soloist he has performed with many orchestras including Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Philharmonic Orchestra Bad Reichenhall, Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra, Chursächsiche Philharmonie Bad Elster and Busan Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, among others.