Jindong Cai joined the Stanford faculty in 2004 as the first holder of the Gretchen B. Kimball Director of Orchestral Studies Chair. He has held positions as assistant conductor with the Cincinnati Symphony and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, working closely with conductors Jésus López-Cobos, Erich Kunzel, and Keith Lockhart. He led the Cincinnati Philharmonia Orchestra on a successful concert tour to Portugal, the only American orchestra invited to participate in the Cultural Festival of World Expo 1998 in Lisbon. He has also served on the faculties at Louisiana State University, the University of Arizona, the University of California at Berkeley, and the College-Conservatory of Music in Cincinnati. Mr. Cai has received much critical acclaim for his orchestral and opera performances. In 1992, his opera conducting debut took place at Lincoln Center's Mozart Bicentennial Festival in New York, when he appeared as a last minute substitute for the world premiere of a new production of Mozart's Zaide. The New York Times described the performance as "one of the more compelling experiences so far offered in the festival." Mr. Cai has guest conducted the Arkansas Symphony, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, the Cincinnati Symphony, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Lexington Philharmonic, the Northwest Chamber Orchestra, and the Tucson Symphony, among others. Mr. Cai maintains strong ties to his homeland and guest conducts several top orchestras in China including the China National Broadcasting Symphony, the National Opera and Ballet Theater of China, the Shanghai Symphony, and the Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony. In 1997, he conducted the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in the Chinese premiere of John Corigliano's Symphony No. 1 - the first major contemporary American work ever performed in that country.
Executive Director Artistic Director Erhu Instructor
Yongping Tian graduated with high honors from Sichuan Conservatory of Music. He was then retained to join the faculty. Tian taught as an er-hu lecturer in the Conservatory for 15 years and has educated many students who became professional musicians. In 1982, he won First Place in the China Erhu Competition in Southwest Region. In 1985, he received the Cultivator Award from Sichuan Musician Association for his accomplishments on music education. In 1986, he attended Sichuan Artists Troupe as an erhu soloist and visited Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and Germany. Tian is very active in the performing stage of the Bay Area. In March 2002, he successfully performed the erhu concerto Butterfly Lovers with Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley Orchestra. In 2006, he performed Autumn Reminiscence with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. For two years, Tian was also invited as a committee and judge for the Chinese Performing Artists of America (CPAA) International Folk Instrument Competition.
Phil Young studied composition with Professor Luo Zhongrong in China and, after immigrating to the U.S. in 1981, with Elinor Armer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His symphonic piece “Fantasy for Orchestra” won 1985 San Francisco Conservatory Composition Competition, the premiere concert and an interview by the KQED radio station were broadcasted live. Phil has been the music director of the Chinese Performing Artists of America for over ten years and has written music in various forms, including symphonic, chamber, electronic, vocal and film. His ballet music “Middle Kingdom Ancient China” for the CPAA and San Jose Ballet is one of many works well received by both the audience and media. His music has been performed internationally by Beijing Symphony in China, Thuringer Symphony in Germany, Ballet San Jose Orchestra, San Francisco Conservatory Orchestra, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, South Bay Chamber Orchestra and Taiwan National Chinese Orchestra.
Graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music of China, Zhang Yu is a member of China Musician Association and an examiner in the Chinese National Music Performing Examination Committee. From 1986 to 1999, he was a suona soloist at the Chinese National Orchestra, one of the top Chinese orchestras in China. He has recorded suona and saxaphone music for many movies. He is a musician with multiple talents, not only skilled in Chinese bamboo flute, but also competent in the Western flute. Among all the different wind instruments, Yu has taught many accomplished students. Between 1982 and 1999, Yu has performed with the Central Conservatory of Music and the Chinese National Orchestra in over twenty countries including the United States, Germany, Holland, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Japan.
Hecheng Liu is an outstanding Pipa virtuoso of remarkable talent. Liu began his music training when he was five. At the age of 11, he was accepted by the Central Conservatory of Music of China - Junior Division, as a gifted student to study pipa with the famous pipa professor, Guanghua LI. In 1980, he graduated with honors, allowing him to enter the Conservatory College Program without any auditions. From 1980 to 1984, Liu studied under the nationally acclaimed professor Chen, Zemin at the Department of Chinese instrument of Central Conservatory of Music. At the same time, he also studie Guqin under the well-known professor Li, Xiangting. Since his graduation in 1984, Liu has been teaching and performing both in China and abroad. As a soloist of the Chinese National Orchestra, Liu has performed in the United States, France, Germany, Sweden, Greece, Denmark, Yugoslavia, Spain, Former Soviet, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hang Kong. He has won many national and international competitions in Pipa performances. He is often invited by universities, museums, and research institutes to lecture and perform. Liu was once featured by the Beijing Radio Broadcasting station, one of the largest radio stations in China, in a show entitled, "Liu, Hecheng Pipa performart". Liu is one of the most renowned musicians in the Bay Area. The critic says "Liu's music gracefully combines strength and emotion to touch his listeners' heart and soul."
Wanpeng Guo is a former principal sheng soloist at the Chinese National Orchestra. Guo is a member of China Musician Association and Chinese National Orchestral Association. When studying sheng, guan-zi, and suo-na under the wind master Wu Zhongfu, he was a soloist in Beijing Youth Palace. At the age of 18, he entered the Chinee National Orchestra as first principal of the sheng section. In 1994, he attended Asian Orchestra formed by a group of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean artists. In 2000, he was invited by Singapore Orchestra as a guest musician. He visited the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Denmark, and all Asian countries, played many solo programs, and made many recordings.
Lu Peng earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Shanghai Conservatory of Music in Shanghai, China. Master’s Degree of Piano Pedagogy from Holy Names University in U.S. She has performed in Carnegie Hall in Yew York and Fourth Taipei International Festival, City Hall in Hong Kong. She has published many hammer dulcimer solo CDs in China. She is a member of National Federation of Music Clubs and also a member of Music Teachers National Association in U.S.
Yang was born in China to a family of musicians, and began his musical studies at an early age. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Wu Han Conservatory in China and became a member of the East Symphony Orchestra of Wu Han and Chamber Orchestra of Wu Han Conservatory. Yang later became a member of the first China Cello Orchestra, led by the well-known Swiss cellist Albert Roman, alongside twenty other highly gifted cello students selected from China’s leading music academies. They performed in Sils, Scuol, Luzern, and Basel in Switzerland, followed by a tour of Beijing, Ji Nan, Shanghai and Su Zhou in China.
Yang received a full scholarship award in 2002 from Indiana University to earn a Master’s Degree and Artist diploma in Cello Performance. During the academic year, Yun-fei Yang was a member of the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra. And he was invited to perform in Dallas several times. In 2003, Yang was invited to perform at the Elitist Concert, organized by the Texas Chinese Performing Arts Association, and he received the “Honor Citizen Certificate Award” from the Dallas city government.
Ms.Yang Hua is a young outstanding GuZheng soloist. A member of China Musician Association GuZheng Committee; also a member of China Nationalities Orchestra Society and Guang-Dong Province Musician Association.
She started learning GuZheng by famous master Li, Sai Jun since she was eight years old. She graduated from South-China Normal University majored in Music. She was instructed by a famous Gu Zheng soloist and an educator, professor Chen, An Hua . In the past years, she received numerous competitions awards in China and was invited to perform in many different countries and states. In 2000, she held her GuZheng solo
concert and vocal concert in Canton,China. She also has ample experience in teaching music. In the year of 2005 to 2007, she continues received recognition of being an outstanding instructor from China Flok Music Orchestra Society Examination Board. She was previous the GuZheng soloist by Guang-Dong National ensemble of Songs and Dances. Now, Ms.Yang is the instructor and soloist at the California Youth Chinese Symphony.
Outstanding bamboo flute soloist. Member of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society, the Dizi Profession Committee, the Shanghai Dizi Culture Research Center. Gao began his music training since at a young age and he graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music. He earned recognition from performing with artists from over twenty different countries in the International Folk Arts Festival in 2007. He visited Japan, Singapore, Korea several times for cultural exchange performance and received high compliments. Gao’s has broad performing skills and his music highly expressive.
Yu is a director of the Instrument Education Center of the Music Academy of Suzhou Technology University. A member of Chinese Musician Association, an examiner of the China Nationalities Orchestra Society Instrument Examination, an advisor for the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Instrument Examination, and soloist and conductor of Suzhou Wuping Chinese Orchestra. In 1996, Yu successfully held a solo concert in Japan and was invited to Russia, Singapore and other countries for cultural exchange performances. In 2005, Yu trained primary and secondary school students on dizi and orchestra in Singapore and its national United Morning Post also interviewed Yu for his training and performances done extensively in the country.
Hong Wang is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Melody of China. A versatile multi-instrumental performing artist, music educator, and specialist in Chinese folk music, he plays several traditional Chinese instruments, including the erhu, banhu (Chinese fiddle), guanzi, sheng, flutes, and percussion. He has performed and lectured in the United States, as well as in Europe and Asia under the sponsorships of the European Foundation for Chinese Music Research, Kaochi Cultural Exchange Association, Germany Peace University and other world music festivals.
Jeff Huang studies the konghou, double-string harp, with professor Jun-Zhi Cui at San Jose State University. His success at multiple competitions had won him international acclaim. Huang won the First Prize of the 1st International Music Competition for Youth in Macao. He was the Gold Prize and Grand Prize winner of Chinese Performing Artists of America (CPAA) Folk Instrument Competition in 2006 in San Jose, California and in the same year, won the Silver Prize at the 2006 World Cup International Competition of Chinese Traditional Musical Instrument Competition. Huang is currently the representative of China International KongHou ensemble U.S.A. region and he performs at schools, senior centers and many multi-culture events in the San Francisco Area extending the tradition of the Konghou music.
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