Download VANCOUVER CHINESE MUSIC ENSEMBLE

VANCOUVER CHINESE MUSIC ENSEMBLE
Musician Biographies
For more information or to listen to the ensemble please contact:
Vancouver Chinese Instrumental Music Society
410 – 111 W. Hastings Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1H4
Tel: (604) 683 8240
Fax: (604) 683 7911
Email: [email protected]
www.vancouverchinesemusic.ca
Musician Bios
Page 1 of 4
Ji Rong Huang – erhu (Chinese violin)
Artistic Director
Ji Rong graduated from the Shanghai
Conservatory of Music in China with a B.A. in
performance. He won an award for traditional
music instrumental performance in a national
competition in China and continued to
performed throughout China. Since arriving in
Vancouver in 1988, Ji Rong has given
hundreds of performances across Canada
and the U.S., including appearances on
Rogers TV and CBC radio programs, and has
performed for the Canadian Governor
General Concert as an Erhu soloist. He is highly
skilled in playing different Chinese bowstrings
instruments. He has merged Western classical
and contemporary music culture into Chinese
music and received praise and acclaim from
many Northern American audiences. His Music
for RCMP has been performed extensively
throughout Canada. Ji Rong is the artistic
director of Vancouver Chinese Music
Ensemble and is a guest lecturer at the UBC
School of Music.
Bruce Henczel – percussion
Speaker
Bruce Henczel began his musical studies at
age three. A multi-instrumentalist, he
graduated from Capilano College at the top
of his class musically, and academically. He
received his Master of Music in percussion
performance from the University of British
Columbia, where he won many awards,
notably, the Concerto Competition. He is an
active chamber musician and composer. He
currently has two solo cds, and is working on a
world music Mass. His print music is published
internationally by Honeyrock Publishing, Inc.,
in Pennsylvania. His diverse musical interests
allow him to facilitate drum circles and
workshops utilizing rhythms from around the
world.
Musician Bios
Page 2 of 4
Zhi Min Yu – ruan (Chinese guitar)
Gui Lian Liu – pipa (Chinese lute)
Born in Shanghai, Gui Lian graduated from
and also stayed as a teacher in the Central
Conservatory of Music, which is regarded the
best music school in China. Gui Lian Liu was
the youngest professor of music in China. She
has performed in numerous countries
including Britain, U.S.A., France, Italy,
Germany, Finland, Austria, Russia, Japan,
Poland, Switzerland, Singapore, South Korea,
Hong Kong and Macau. Her biography is listed
in “Who’s Who of the World”, “Chinese
Famous Contemporary Writers and Artists”,
and “Chinese Famous Musicians”. She has
also been highly recommended by a number
of local and international maestros. She used
to be the principal of the plucked instruments
section of the Chinese Orchestra of the
Central Conservatory of Music, Director of
Shanghai Pipa Society, and a member of the
Chinese Musicians’ Association and Chinese
National Orchestral Society.
Zhi Min Yu started her studies on the ruan and
pipa at an early age. In 1976, she joined the
China Broadcast Performing Arts Troupe and
became very active in Beijing.Zhi Min
appeared in the Asian Arts Festival in Hong
Kong in 1981, and in 1985 toured Japan as a
founding member of the Chinese Folklore
Troupe, earning her recognition as an
ambassador of Chinese folk arts to Japan.
Since immigrating to Canada in 1989, she has
performed at various events throughout North
America and has toured in Britain, France,
Hawaii and Hong Kong. She has performed in
many festivals and participated in recordings
for CBC, BBC, and TV. The CDs Endless and
Village Tales won West Coast Music Awards,
and Endless and Nine Fold Heart each won a
nomination for a Juno Award.
Musician Bios
Page 3 of 4
Wei Li – zheng (Chinese zither)
Nominated for the 2009 Grammy Award for
Best Instrumental Soloist Performer
Wei Li is one of the most respected guzheng
maestros in China today. Born in Shan Tou,
GuangDong, Wei Li began his training at the
age of 12 from Maestro Guang Quan Yang.
Because of Li’s outstanding talent, he was
admitted to Xinghai Conservatory at the age
of 14, to embark on ten years of training
specializing in guzheng artistry, composition,
and education. During this period, he was
blessed to receive training from Professor An
Hua Chen, maestro of the Ling Nan Zheng
Style, and Maestro Yu Zhai Zhao, originator of
the Northern Style. Li was also enlightened by
other famous teachers such as Ning Xin Rao,
Mao Gen Lin, Zheng Cao, and Ying Guo. Li is
specially acclaimed for his artistry in traditional
Ling Nan style, and is considered to represent
the pinnacle of this style’s zheng artistry. Li has
enjoyed a very successful career. After
winning the first prize in guzheng solo
composition, Meadow in Spring, both his Sigh
of Home-Coming and Dream of An Opera
were included in the Famous Chinese
Guzheng Composition Encyclopedia. Among
his over thirty compositions and arrangements,
the most well-known are Dun Huang Guzheng
Concerto, Soul of Ya Shan, Sigh of HomeComing for solo Guzheng, Dream of An
Opera, and Toll of Monastery Bell. Each of
these pieces has won first, second, or third
prize in national or provincial competitions.
Zhong Xi Wu – suona & sheng (Chinese oboe
& reed organ)
Born in northeastern China, Wu started
learning reed and wind instruments at the
age of eight from his father and elder brother
who are both renowned musicians. He
graduated from the Heilongjiang College of
Performing Arts and was subsequently
appointed as the lead suona player and
composer for the Heilongjiang Repertory
Theatre. He has won many first prizes in music
competitions and his name was cited in the
“Who’s Who of the World” as the most
renowned professionals in China. Wu has
performed as a soloist in China, Japan, Hong
Kong, U.S.A. and Canada. He has been
actively involved in traditional Chinese Opera
as well as contemporary theatre and has
composed music for experimental theatre
productions in New York.
Musician Bios
Page 4 of 4