Biography:
Reylon Yount is a yangqin player, composer, and improviser who comes from San Francisco, California. As a biracial Chinese-American, Reylon has drawn influence from his Chinese heritage in all aspects of his life, including his music. He studied yangqin for 14 years under Ms. Zhao Yangqin of the Melody of China ensemble in San Francisco and Professor Huang He from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In 2014, Reylon became the first American to compete on yangqin in China and won a silver prize at the Baotou International Dulcimer Arts Festival. Through his performances, Reylon hopes to help reinvigorate the yangqin tradition and catalyze cultural exchange between Chinese and American audiences. He was thrilled when he had the chance to work with the Silk Road Ensemble for the first time in his junior year of college. Since then, he has been a guest performer with the Silk Road Ensemble four times and appeared on their newest album, “Sing Me Home.” Reylon recently graduated from Harvard College, where he studied Environmental Science and Public Policy. While at Harvard, Reylon founded an educational performing arts series called Cultural Connections, served as captain of the Harvard Wushu Team, and was elected first marshal his graduating class. His career goal is to help situate the arts in the sustainable development discourse and work on creating the cultural conditions necessary to achieve human development goals.
