姚晓琴，扬琴演奏家。现任南京师范大学音乐学院副教授，硕士研究生导师。中国音乐家协会会员、中国民族管弦乐学会会员、中国民族管弦乐学会扬琴专业委员会会员。
　　姚晓琴一九六三年出生在一个充满文化气息的家庭。6岁受哥哥姚绍宏的影响开始学习扬琴技艺，并一步步走上音乐之路。1982年考入南京艺术学院音乐系．先后师从李霞薇、钱方平、芮伦宝教授学习扬琴，并向成公亮先生学弹古琴，在音乐领域打下多方面的坚实基础。
　　在漫长的扬琴学习生涯中，李霞薇的悉心点拔对她颇具影响力，指引她大步跨进扬琴演奏的艺术王国，演奏技法突飞猛进。从钱方平、芮伦宝教授身上，悟性极好的她真正感悟了艺术的真缔。经过多年的昆曲艺术实践和薰陶，她掌握了传统文化的深厚底蕴，提高了扬琴的艺术品位，从而达到了扬琴演奏中技高艺深、音妙韵奇的境界。
　　兢晓琴副教授于1994年出访韩国举办演奏会；1995年获北京中国民族器乐大赛优秀演奏奖；1997年在江苏省政府礼堂举办“迎香港回归”扬琴独奏音乐会；获得巨大成功，深受好评；2000年举办师生扬琴音乐会，同年获南京师范大学”优秀教学成果奖”，所教学生在全国各地多种级别的比赛中有上佳表现。
　　作为一位演奏家对音韵俱佳的追求是无止境的，姚晓琴为此付出了艰辛的汗水。她对扬琴音色有很深的研究，并在演奏中融入了气功宽松和谐的意念，故而她的演奏音色甜美；她对于演奏韵味的研究更是精妙入微，深具文化品位。因此，她的演奏宽松自如，流畅细腻，气质高雅，充满活力。近年来她为电台、电视台、音像公司录制了大量的音乐作品，出版了扬琴音带与CD唱盘，并多次与著名二胡演奏家闵惠芬合作，同台演出。
　　作为南京师范大学音乐学院副教授、民进成员、中国管弦乐学会会员、中国音乐家协会会员，姚晓琴仍如饥似渴地邀游在艺术王国。她潜心研究了扬琴演奏艺术与教学方法，写下了《扬琴教学探讨》、《扬琴演奏艺术的形神兼备》、《谈谈扬琴考级中存在的一些问题》、《扬琴在江南丝竹中的演奏艺术》、《对扬琴演奏艺术的理性要求》等一系列论文。她在艺术实践与理论探讨等方面不断充实自己，是一位集教学、演奏、科研于一身的青年演奏家。
　　姚晓琴教书育人，成就卓著，许多大学生尊她为良师益友。她曾无数次到各大、中院校举行民族音乐讲座，为弘扬民族音乐作贡献。她正在一步一个脚印地向艺术高峰攀登。
　 Born in a family of strong cultural atmosphere in 1963 and influenced by her brother, Yao Xiao-qm began to learn playing dulcimer at the age of six and was gradually devoted to music. In 1982, she was admitted into Nanjing Arts Institute and was taught successively by Prof. Li Xia-wei, Qian Fang-ping and Rui Lun-bao.Also she learned playi guqin　(Chinese zither) under the instruction of Cheng Gong-liang, thus laying asolid and profound foundation in music.
　　Having benefited from Prof. Li Xia-wei's careful instruction, Yao Xiao-qin makes tremendous progress in her performing skills. At the same time, she comprehends the true essence of art from Prof. Qian Fang-ping and Rui Lun-bao. After long practice and nurture of kunqu, Yao Xiao-qin profoundly grasps traditional culture and improves her artistic taste for dulcimer, which brings her to the marvelous realm of dulcimer performance with superb　skills　and　intriguing　tones.
　　Yao Xiao-qin was invited to visit South Korea in 1994 and gave a special musical instrumental performance there. In 1995, she was granted the Excellent Performance Award of Beijing Chinese Traditional Musical Instrument Competition. In 1997, she gave a dulcimer solo concert at the Assembly Hall of Jiangsu Province to commemorate the returning of Hong Kong and was well received. In 2000, she held a teacher-student dulcimer concert and got the Excellent Theaching Award in the same year Also her students performed well in various competitions at different levels.
　　As an artist who pursues the boundless realm of art.Yao Xiao-qin works industriously. In her pertbrmance, She borrows the concept of ease and harmony from qigong,which makes the tone pleasant.What’s more　She makes subtle studies in the charm of performance to provide it with high　cultural standard.In doing so, her performance is characterised by　its ease and smoothness, fluency and subtly, grace and Vigor. She has so　far accomplished a lot of musical works for audiovisual companies, radio stations and TV stations and recorded tapes and CD discs and performed　several times together with Min Hui-fen, the famous erhu artist.
　　As an assistant professor at Nanjing Art Institute of Nanjing Normal　College, a member of Minjin Party as well as the China Orchestra　Association and the China Musician Association, Yao Xiao-qin is　working diligently in the kingdom of art. She applies herself to the study　of performance and teaching with great concentration and so far　published a series of books such as Exploration of Chinese Dulcimer Art　Combination of Form and Spirit, On Problems of Taking Dulcimer　Exams, Dulcimer Performing Art in String-wind Music of South Yangzi River and The Rational Demands for Dulcimer Performing Art with　 constant efforts on the studies both in practice and theory, Yao Xiao-qin becomes a young artist with achievements in teaching, performing and research.
　　Prof. Yao Xian-qin is highly respected by her students for her teaching accomplishments and has given a lot of lectures on folk music in many institutes to expand the national music. Yao Xiao-qin is devoted to art completely　and scaling new heights　in　the　field.