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Yangqin ZHAO
Yangqin Instructor
Member of Chinese Musicians Association and the China Nationalities Orchestra Society. A founder of Melody of China in San Francisco.
In 1982, she graduated with honors from Nanjing Normal University's Music Department and soon became a head of the faculty in the University. Also in 1982, Ms. Zhao won first place in National Instrumentalist Competition held by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. From 1984 to 1986, Yangqin attended the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to further study the yangqin under Professors Shengmao Hong and Mingqing Guo. In 1987 and 1991, she performed in the Jiangsu Provincial Arts Festival and won first prize on both occasions. In 1987, Yangqin Zhao attended the Fourth National Congress of Chinese Musicians as the youngest musician in attendance. Her profile appears in the "Who's Who in Young Chinese" published in 1990, and "The Chinese Musicians Yearbook" of the same year.
Ms. Zhao has been invited to perform in many countries, including Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Germany, where she has lectured at universities, conservatories and music schools. In an excerpt from CHIME Newsletter by Frank Kouwenhoven, Secretary-general of the European Foundation for Chinese Music Research, he notes:" I was impressed not only by her high technical standard of playing but also the strong musical feeling she displayed during Performance and by her friendly and modest character." In June of 1996, she was invited as one of seven musicians who are masters on the Yangqin-like instruments (hammered dulcimer) for the Tanz & FolkFest Rudolstadt (Folk Instruments Festival) in Germany. In September, 1996, she performed as a yangqin soloist with Shanghai Ethnic Orchestra. In June 2000, she was invited to perform at the "Concert in the Wildstage" by Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra in Berlin, Germany.
Recordings:
Yu Hongmei Erhu Collection, Vol. I, II (1998)
--Wind Records Co., Ltd. Taiwan. Yu Hongmei on erhu (Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing), Yangqin Zhao on yangqin (Hammered dulcimer).
Melody of China, Melody of China Ensemble, Chinese Classical Music
--Recorded by Sparks Production, produced by Hansheng Cultural Productions (1997). Erhu, banhu, gaohu, pipa, yangqin, dizi, zhongruan and percussion solo and ensemble of han -and minorities' music
Pure yangqin (1995)
--This is first CD of mater yangqin soloist, Yanqin Zhao's in the United States. Produced by James Yee, Recorded by Sparks Production
Bing in Motion (1994)
--Produced by Visible Interactive.
High Moon (1994)
--Solo, duet, Quartet, Quintet and ensemble of Chinese traditional instruments. Produced by Dunhuang Music Ensemble.
Masterpieces of Chinese Traditional Music- I, II, III (1994)
--Produced by Wind Records Co., Ltd. Taiwan
Spirit on two Strings Vol. I, II (1993)
--Produced by Wind Records Co., Ltd. Taiwan. Jiebing Chen on erhu (Chinese fiddle), Yangqin Zhao on yangqin (Hammered dulcimer).
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Wanpeng GUO
Sheng Instructor and Conductor
A member of the China Musician Association, China Nationalities Orchestra Society, and China National Wind Instrument Society. Mr. Guo studied the sheng, guan, suona from the famous wind instrument maker and performer WU Zhongfu in his childhood. He attended Beijing Youth Palace Chinese Orchestra and performed sheng solos.
At the end of 1977, Guo joined China National Chinese Orchestra. During 23 years working in the Orchestra, he:
• recorded the Spring of Frontier for China Central People’s Broadcasting. This piece was collected into the first Sheng Solo Recordings published by China Recordings. He also recorded music for Hugo Recordings, Wana Recordings, and many music for movies and TV series.
• visited the United States, France, German, Australia, Danmark, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, performing in the Golden Hall in Vienna, Carnegie Hall in New York, and J. F. Kennedy Art Center in Washington, D.C., including over hundred solo performances.
• was a member of Asian Orchestra whose musicians were from China, Japan, and Korea. He performed in many cities in these three countries. In 2000, he was invited as a guest musician to perform in Singapore Chinese Orchestra for three months.
• served as a deputy supervisor in China National Chinese Orchestra 1992-1996.
• invited to be a conductor in Beijing Demao Middle School and Huayuancun Middle School. The latter won second place in a Beijing middle school Chinese orchestra competition.
Since immigrating to the US in 2001, Mr. Guo has been a Sheng instructor and conductor in FYCO. He was, later on, a sheng soloist in Melody of China in SF, and also a conductor in Great Wall Youth Orchestra in Oakland. In 2005, the famous conductor of Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, Yan Huichang, praised Guo as “the most excellent alto sheng player in the world.”
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Su-Chen LIU
Erhu Instructor
Ms. Liu grew up in Taiwan Hsinchu. She graduated from National Taiwan Academy of Arts Chinese Music Department with the first place in 1985. Ms. Liu was a professional Erhu player in Taipei Chinese Orchestra for 10 years since 1988. As the Orchestra member, she visited USA, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong & Mainland China. She taught at summer music camp hosted by Taipei Chinese Orchestra for many years. Also, she taught at many schools’ Chinese Orchestras as an Erhu instructor. These schools include Zhongshan Girls High School, Shuguang Girls High School, Huajiang Middle School, Dafeng Elementary School, Wangxi Elementary School and Dongmen Elementary School in Taipei, and Zhongzheng Middle School and Xinyi Elementary School in Keelung. In 1998, she held a solo concert in Recital Hall of National Concert Hall in Taipei, and then immigrated to the US. She performed with Crystal Children’s Choir many times since 2000. In October 2006, she performed Moon Reflection in Erquan with San Francisco Girls Chorus successfully.
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Wei HOU
Suona Instructor
Wei Hou is one of the most celebrated wind-instrumentalist in China's younger generation. His music has been said to touch the heart and spirit of his audiences. In 1993, Hou won first place in the Youth Soloist Instrument Competition. In 1995, he was awarded the top honor at China’s 1st Annual Youth Soloist Festival. Upon graduation from Beijing School for the Performing Arts, he was immediately recruited by “Beijing Modern & Ancient Music Troup.” Hou has performed in many CCTV and BJTV showcases and worked with a number of opera theaters such as Beijing Peking Opera Theater and China Central National Opera Theater. After arriving in the United States during the late 1990s, Hou has performed solo concerts in Herbst Theatre and Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco. As a wind instrumentalist, he also plays the Dizi (bamboo flute), Xiao (vertical flute), Bawu (copper-reed flute), Hulusi (gourd pipe), Xun (Chinese ocarina). His most recent project is coordinating entertainment for Hong Kong, Live It, Love It, a campaign to promote tourism for Hong Kong Tourism Board.
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Mark KUO
Dizi Instructor
Mr. Kuo was born in Taiwan. He has served as director, conductor, dizi and sheng soloist in the Chinese music clubs. In recent years, Mark has become the main accompanist (Kun-di) in the Kunqu ensemble in the Bay Area.
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Emily LIN
Liuqin & Ruan Instructor
Ms. Emily I Lan Lin was born in Taiwan Taipei, and has been studying piano since she was little. At age 9, she began Liuqin and Ruan with liuqin master Catherine Cheng. Not only did she graduate from Hwakang art high school and receive her BFA from Chinese Culture University Chinese music department (majoring in liuqin), she also studied with many famous Chinese plucked instrument masters from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. In 1999 she was honored as a Hwakang Chinese music new superstar, and performed the liuqin concerto Melody on a Moonlit River in Taipei National Recital Hall. In 2005, she earned her Master’s degree in Music Education from Pennsylvania State University. She had two wonderful and successful solo recitals during her study at Penn State University. Ms. Lin received many liuqin and ruan championship in Taiwan Taipei East district. In 1995 and 1996, she earned the Taiwan National Youth Liuqin Competition champion and second award. Since 1992, she has performed in countless places including Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, USA and Guam with Taipei Liuqin Ensemble, Taipei Youth Chinese Orchestra, HwaKang Yuan-Shiun Chinese Classical Ensemble and Keelung Municipal Chinese Classical Orchestra. She has taught at many schools as a Chinese plucked instrument instructor, and was a Liuqin group judge committee member at the 2000 Taipei Millennium Ethno-music competition.
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 Wai U WONG
Yang-qin and Percussion Instructor
Ms. Wong was born in Shanghai and started learning to play yangqin at the age of five. Upon graduation from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1996, she was employed as the first yangqin player for the Macau Chinese Orchestra and a yangqin teacher at the Macau Conservatory School of Music. In 1999, she founded Huayun Chinese music studio, completely devoted herself to promoting yangqin and its teaching. In 2001, she came to the United States to study in a Masterâs program. Since 1993, she has participated in many yangqin competitions and won prestigious prizes. She has also performed in Portugal, Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China and Japan. In 2000, she held a yangqin solo recital. Ms. Wong received her Master’s degree in 2005. Currently, she is the chairperson of the Executive Board of the Guangzhou Yangqin Association.
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Shenshen ZHANG
Pipa Soloist
Graduated from Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Earned a Bachelor’s degree in 1992 in performance and a master’s degree in 2005 in musicology. From 1992 to 2005, Ms. Zhang was a pipa soloist in Shamen Opera House, and visited Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Philippines. With famous conductor Han Zhongjie, Zheng Xiaoying, and Yan Liangkun, she performed with Xiamen Philharmonic Symphony and Xiamen Opera House orchestra. Shenshen held a solo recital in 2003 and a quintet concert in 2005 in Xiamen, China. She also held recitals in 2007 in Half Moon Bay, San Francisco in the US.
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Bei CHEN
Cello Instructor
Bei Chen started playing the cello in the Children’s Music School of Shanghai Conservatory of Music at the age of ten. After graduation from the Conservatory’s middle music school in 1969, Bei played the cello professionally with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Peking Opera House and Shanghai Philharmonic Society. Bei is a member of China Cello Academy and Shanghai musicians' Association. Bei came to the United States to study Arts Management in a master's program in1990. Now he is teaching private cello lessons part time in South Bay Area.
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Kevin FREY, PhD
Music Director
Horn Soloist
Dr. Kevin T. Frey, DMA, MM, BME; hornist and composer, coordinates Music at San Jose City College, California, teaching humanities and improvised music. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison studying horn with Professor Douglas Hill and composition with Professor Les Thimmig. Dr. Frey has performed across the United States. He co-directs LedaSwan, Inc. (www.ledaswan.org) with choreographer Jimmyle Listenbee, a non-profit arts organization based in Oxford, MS and San Jose, CA supporting creative music and dance collaborations. He also performs in the Oxford, MS area with the country blues band, Brown Dog Brown. Dr. Frey's active involvement with the Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra (www.fyco.org) as conductor, arranger and Horn soloist furthers FYCO's mission of diversity through integrating Chinese and Western musical concepts, particularly Jazz idioms of Ragtime and Big Band Swing.
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Gordon LEE
Artistic Director
In 1973, Gordon Lee (also known as XIE Tan) studied Chinese music at Sichuan Conservatory of Music under Prof. CHEN Jilue, founder and conductor of the first modern Chinese orchestra in China. As Lee's mentor for 16 years, Prof. Chen was one of the most influential individuals to Lee. In 1981 Lee started his advanced study with focus on pipa pedagogics under Prof. Wang Fandi, the world gold medal winner and the chair of Plucked Instrument Unit at China Conservatory of Music. Lee joined China Pingju Opera Theater in Beijing in 1978, and came to the United States in 1989. He received his MA degree from San Jose State University and won the Outstanding Thesis Award in 1995. Since then, Lee has held many solo recitals, seminars, and Chinese music workshops in public schools, libraries, community centers and colleges in northern California. He established the Eastern Music Center in 1996, training many young students to play Chinese instruments. Several of them won various awards from local to national music competitions. Lee founded FYCO in 2000, serving as its executive director and artistic director. In 2002, Lee joined the faculty of San Jose City College as a Chinese music instructor. Lee has composed many original works for the orchestra, such as string ensemble America the Beautiful, French horn and plucked instruments Olive Tree, Chinese orchestra Mulan, and suite The Winchester House.
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