Student Ambassadors

CYCS STUDENT AMBASSADORS

2019 “Starlight Melodies” Concert performances from Feb. 10th, 2019

CYCS Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CYCSUS

California Youth Chinese Symphony (CYCS), is a non-profit organization serving the Bay Area and nation-wide. CMA performs high-quality, diversified traditional Chinese music and creatively integrates East-West music using both Chinese and Western instruments.

CMA performs traditional ensembles and solos in public community cultural events and celebrations that are free of charge and welcome to all. Over the past few years, it has become an unique ensemble as the new American-born generation embraces the Chinese musical heritage. Our mission is to promote musical diversity and enrich the cultural lives of our communities by exposing traditional Chinese music to audiences in the area. Led by many distinguished and highly-acclaimed Chinese music professionals passionate about developing rising young musicians, CYCS offers free instrument classes during the summer and low-cost private lessons throughout the rest of the year.

青年國樂特使團 (CMA) 是加州青少年國樂團（ CYCS）旗下的一個非營利性組織, 主要服務於舊金山灣區，並透過不同的交流活動讓音樂傳遞到全美國和世界各地。音樂特使團的目的在於宣揚高品質的中國音樂，它還巧妙地結合了東西方的樂器，讓廣大的愛樂群眾能夠體驗到音樂無國際之美。
通過在許多社區文化和慶祝活動，特使團不斷的介紹中國音樂和傳統樂器讓大眾認識。在過去的一年，已經有越來越多年輕的愛樂者加入我們，擁抱中國的音樂遺產。我們的使命是通過介紹中國傳統音樂和樂器，促進音樂的多樣性和豐富社區的文化生活。在專業熱情的中國音樂家帶領下，期望能薪火相傳，蘊育出新一代年輕音樂家。

What We Do:

Community event performances
Ensembles, solos, and instrument presentations
Places we have performed: companies (Apple, Facebook, Yahoo…), elementary schools, senior centers, libraries, cultural festivals

Instruments played by the ambassadors:

Erhu
Gaohu
Yangqin
Pipa
Zhongruan
Guzheng
Dizi
Sheng

Current Ambassadors

Yiwen Gong is a 9th grader at Mission San Jose High School. She has been playing the dizi for 4 years, and passed level 8 of the CCOM exam. Last year, Yiwen also won a gold award at the Song Ting Long Yin bamboo flute competition. Outside of CYCS, some things she does include kung fu and table tennis.

Jascha Wen is a sophomore at Foothill High School in Pleasanton. He is also a CYCS (California Youth Chinese Symphony) ambassador as a chinese flute player, participating in the orchestra for 5 years and playing dizi for 8 years. He has won gold awards at both the Song Ting Long Yin bamboo flute competition as well as the San Francisco New Concept Performing Contest. With Seagull Leadership and another dizi-only group, Jascha performs Chinese music for the public.

Jonah is a sophomore at Foothill High School. He is also a Chinese Flute player in CYCS or the California Youth Chinese Symphony. He’s been in the orchestra for 5 years and playing dizi for 8 years. In addition, he’s also won gold at the San Francisco International New Concept Performing Contest and Song Ting Long Yin Competition. Aside from being in the orchestra, Jonah has also helped create a dizi-only group which has performed at multiple concerts and charity events. Outside of dizi, Jonah also plays varsity tennis for Foothill High School, enjoys reading, and games.

Sandee Liu, Publicity Head and Vice President, is a senior at Irvington High School. She plays erhu, gaohu, and banhu, playing erhu for over 8 years. Besides these instruments, she also plays violin, viola, liuqin, and zhongruan. Outside of music, Sandee does color guard in her school's team.

Salene Liu is currently an 8th grader at Horner Middle School. She has been playing Erhu for around 6 years, recently passing level 7 of the CCOM exam. Additionally, she played Liuqin when she was younger along with Violin that she still currently plays.

Shuwen Zheng is a junior at Bellarmine College Preparatory. He has been with CYCS since 4th grade and has played the erhu for over seven years. Besides playing the erhu, he also designs for his school yearbook and competes with his school's robotics team. In his free time, he likes to read, write, and code.

Brian Qian is a senior Computer Science major at San Jose State University. He has been playing the erhu for 6 years. His other hobbies include archery and electronics.

Leyi Lu, Publicity, is a senior at Dublin High School. She has been playing pipa for twelve years and passed all levels of the CCOM Chinese Instrument Standard Grade Examination in 2021. She attended many competitions and won the Excellence Inheritor Award in the 5th U.S. Legacy International Art Festival, a gold medal in the 2nd Canada’s International Chinese Music Competition, 1st and 2nd place in the United States International Music Competition, a gold medal in the Huain Cup Competition, etc. She also enjoys teaching pipa to younger kids at the CYCS Summer Program. Besides pipa, she played violin for six years and auditioned into several well-known orchestras. Since 2020, she has been organizing and conducting her own string ensemble that performs in communities and raises money to donate to the Oakland Zoo.

Sarah Lu-Liang is a senior at Gunn High School. She joined CYCS in second grade and passed all levels of the CCOM exam. She also won a silver medal in the Huain Cup competition. In her free time, Sarah enjoys visiting cafe’s, listening to music, and doing archery.

Tiana Yu is a sophomore at Mountain View High School. She has been playing Pipa for around 7 years and has passed Level 9 of CCOM exams. Besides playing Pipa, Tiana also dances both inside and out of school.

Ryan Rulkens, vice president, is a senior at Archbishop Mitty High School. He has been playing the pipa for 12 years, while also playing the clarinet, piano, and guitar. He also leads the physics club at his school and is an editor for the newspaper. In his free time, Ryan enjoys studying typology and getting boba with friends.

Evelyn Zhang, a senior at Palo Alto High School, joined CYCS in second grade and recently passed level 10 of the CCOM exam for the pipa. Besides pipa, she is an editor for her school’s social activism magazine, is involved in a local congressional campaign, and competes with her school’s speech and debate team.

Zerlina Tang is an 8th grader from Challenger Shawnee campus. She has been playing the guzheng for 6 years. Outside of music, Zerlina also enjoys playing mobile games, drawing anime, and snowboarding.

Abby is a junior at Los Altos School. She has played Guzheng for 9 years and has passed the CCOM Grade 9 Test. She is also on her school’s speech and debate team. In her free time, Abby enjoys hanging out with friends and sleeping in

Madison Tian is a junior at American High School. She has been learning sheng for 5 years, and enjoys playing classical music on the piano. She also does robotics and archery in her free time.

Brian Wang is a senior at Wilcox High School. He joined the CYCS Ambassadors in 2015, and has been a core member ever since. Brian has performed solos in the CYCS Annual Concert and at the 2022 China Night Gala, and has won a gold medal 2022 Canada International Chinese Music Competition and the United States International Music Competition. Through CYCS Ambassadors' performances, he hopes to spread Chinese music and culture to new audiences throughout the Bay Area and bring festivity and joy to his community.

Wade Gu is a student at Piedmont Hills High School. He likes music and has played percussion for about 9 years. In his free time, he also enjoys playing Ping Pong.

Sophie Tian is an eighth grader at Mission Hills Middle School. She has been doing percussion for 5 years. She also plays piano and sings. Outside of music, she does soccer and debate.

Former Ambassadors

Kaitlyn Chou, 2022, Treasurer, graduated from Piedmont Hills High School, joined CYCS on the erhu in fourth grade and recently tested level 10 of the CCOM exam. She also has been playing the violin in school for eight years. Outside of playing instruments, she enjoys reading and watching movies.

Hsinpin Wen, 2022, Publicity, graduated from Lynbrook High School. She has been playing Erhu for 5 years, and passed level 9 of the CCOM.

Serena Chu, 2022, graduated from Dublin High School, has been playing the Guzheng for 11 years. She joined CYCS in 2017 and has passed the level 10 CCOM exam. Outside of orchestra, she enjoys painting and martial art”.

Elaine Liu, 2022, graduated from Saratoga High School. She joined CYCS as a dizi player in 2010 at the age of 6. She has passed the CCOM Level 10 Exam with an outstanding score. She has competed at the International Huain Cup Competition and won two gold medals with honor. In her free time, Elaine also enjoys to sing, draw, and listen to Chinese music.

Sunny Liu, 2022, graduated from Irvington High School. He play the cello in CYCS Ambassadors group. In addition to the Ambassadors group, he is also a member of the CYCS Senior Orchestra and my school’s orchestra. Besides cello, Sunny also play Erhu and Violin. In my free time, he like to play tennis.

Andie Liu, 2021, graduated from Monta Vista High School. She has been playing the erhu for almost 7 years. She passed CCOM Exam Level 9 with distinction and just tested for Level 10. Besides erhu, she is a managing editor for her school’s news magazine, runs for the track team, and likes to read and draw in her free time.

Angie Liu, 2021, has been playing the pipa for 6 years. She has passed Level 8 of the CCOM pipa exam.

David Fu Ziwei Smith, 2021, graduated from Stanford Online High School. Ziwei joined CYCS in fourth grade in 2012 to play zhongruan in the Senior Orchestra, and joined the Music Ambassadors in middle school.
Ziwei also plays the dizi, suona, liuqin and piano. Ziwei has completed leval 10 in dizi, level 9 in zhongruan and level 5 in suona, having passed the China Conservatory of Music Exams for these instruments.
Ziwei has won a silver medal followed by a gold medal in dizi, and a bronze medal in zhongruan. Ziwei hopes to continue playing his music instruments in college.

William Chu, 2021, graduated from Mission San Jose High School. He has played Chinese percussion for 10 years and has played a few years of Western percussion.

Jeffrey Xiong, 2020, graduated from Cupertino High School, started playing erhu in the 3rd grade, and has been playing with CYCS since seventh grade. He is studying for CCOM Level 10 for erhu. Outside of erhu, he plays piano and has passed the Panel Examination with honor.

Anderson Wang, 2020, joined CYCS in 2015 and plays the erhu, gaohu, zhonghu, banhu and jinghu. Anderson has passed the California Conservatory of Music Test Level 10 with Honors for his instruments. He won the gold medal in 2015 and 2016 Huain Cup. He has a Spotify playlist of Chinese music and also played the piano for 10 years. He really enjoys movie soundtracks with Chinese music.

Lucas Lam, 2019, plays the guzheng, or the Chinese zither.

Bill Lei, 2019, plays Erhu. He has been playing the erhu since the first grade, and has passed level 10 of the CCOM exam. He has won two silver medals and one gold medal in the Huain Cup Competition.

Angelina Xu, 2019, graduated from Mission San Jose High School. She has been playing the guzheng, also known as the Chinese zither, for 8 years. Her hobbies include playing water polo. singing, creative writing, and reading.

Isabella Wang, 2019, graduated from Valley Christian High School who loves music and arts. She joined CYCS in 6th grade as a pipa player.

Vivian Cheng, 2018, graduated from Lynbrook High, plays the erhu and gaohu. She joined CYCS in 2013, and has passed level 10 with distinction in the CCOM exam for erhu. She has won the gold medal in the 2016 Huain Cup. She has also been playing the piano for 10 years.

Kimberley Tsang, 2018, plays the Yangqin, also known as the “Chinese Dulcimer.” She has been with the California Youth Chinese Symphony since 2008 and has passed her CCOM level 10 exam. Not only does she enjoy playing the yangqin, she also spends her time competing in contemporary and hip-hop dance

Ziyi Smith, 2018, has played four years of the Chinese trumpet, suona, seven years of piano, and a year of percussion. She has passed level 6 in Suona for the CCOM Music Exam, and also level 6 in piano.

Arnold Zhou, 2019, graduated from Homestead High School. He has been playing the zhongruan for 9 years and has passed level 8 of the CCOM Exams with distinction.

How to Contact us:

ambassador@uscycs.org
https://www.facebook.com/CYCS-Chinese-Music-Ambassadors-712304488907297