Biography

One of 30 Brilliant Classical Musicians Under 30

Kuang’s brilliantly clean passagework and sparkling arpeggios in the outer movements seem effortless and are balanced by a sensitively played middle movement, deeply elegant by any standard.

Jim McCutcheon

American Record Guide, July 2021

Kuang’s performance is outstanding…His technical facility is mind-blowing. The way he dispatches the decorations and variations of the famous theme of the second movement is astonishing.

Phillip Scott

Fanfare, March 2021

Kuang’s readings are impeccably clean, bright, and graceful enough to satisfy Rodrigo’s wish that his concerto be ‘no stronger than a butterfly’.

Steph Power

BBC Music Magazine, September 2020

Kuang performs the Bach Chaconne with not only technical command but with an impressive understanding of the architecture of the piece.

Kenneth Keaton

American Record Guide, May 2015

As one of the most influential young musicians today, guitarist Junhong Kuang was selected as one of the ‘30 Brilliant Classical Musicians Under 30 ‘ by conductor Julian Lloyd Webber. He has worked with many conductors including Darrell Ang, Michael Francis, Tonu Kaljuste, Kevin Griffiths, Jed Gaylin, Nell Flanders, Chen Xieyang, Chen Lin, Yin Jiongjie Hu Yongyan, Zhu Qiyuan, Fu Renchang, and shared the stage with musicians: Manuel Barrueco, David Russell, Pepe Romero, Lv Siqing, Li-Wei Qin, Tao Wang, and Zeng Yun. He also works closely with composers Gerald Garcia, Yao Chen, Liu Peng, Jin Zhuosheng and Wen Ziyang. In 2017, Kuang was awarded the top prize in the classical guitar category of the prestigious ARD Music Competition, along with the Audience Prize and the Ifp-Musikpreis, making him the youngest prizewinner in ARD’s history.

Kuang has performed with some of the top orchestras around the world, including the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Radio Orchestra, Basel Collegium, Peabody Symphony Orchestras, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, Chengdu Symphony Orchestra, Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Sichuan Philharmonic Orchestra. Kuang’s recent performances including Tedesco’s D major guitar concerto with Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Rodrigo’s Fantasia Gentilhombre with Xiamen Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra and Chengdu Symphony Orchestra, Concierto de Aranjuez with Bay Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra and Xian Symphony Orchestra, Vivaldi’s D major guitar concerto with Harbin Conservatory of music Symphony Orchestra and Sichuan Symphony Orchestra and Gerald Garcia’s China Sings with Zhejiang Conservatory of music Symphony Orchestra. Kuang is also the first Chinese guitarist to release guitar solo and concerto recordings in Naxos. In the 2023-24 Season, Kuang was invited to perform for the opening concert at the Madrid International Guitar Festival in Spain, to tour with Deutsche Grammophon recording Clarinetist Tao Wang in China and Japan, and to give a master class at the New York Juilliard School Pre-college, Hong Kong Chinese University, Peking University, and Tianjin Conservatory of Music.

Kuang began his study at the age of nine with Professor Xu Bao in Chengdu, China. He was accepted into the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University at the age of 15, and is currently studying with the legendary maestro Manuel Barrueco. He is an associate professor of classical guitar at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music and Pre-College faculty at The Tianjin Juilliard School.