Artists

Amy Yuan is a Chinese Yangqin Player. She began taking an interest in the Yangqin at the age of nine, after first hearing it being played from a family friend. Since then, she has won competitions, performed at many Chinese festivals including the Mayor of London Chinese New Year Celebration, the Chinatown Mid-Autumn festival, the Lion’s Club Dragon Boat festival, various events for Spectrum Chinese Radio and BCTV.

Amy brings new life to Chinese folk music and hopes to widen interest and passion for Chinese music to young and older generations.

Carol Chen is a Chinese dancing performer. With a passion and practice in dancing since very young age, Carol has been involved in various events for dancing programme in the UK since arriving in London. The main big events include Chinese new year celebration, Mid-autumn festival, Dragon boat festival and Nottinghill Gate Carnival.

Her dancing performance mainly focuses on Chinese traditional folk dancing, including fan dancing, handkerchief dancing and ribbon dancing. Apart from the performances, Carol is also involved in many dancing workshops for both adults and kids in order to develop more opportunities for those people in UK who are interested in learning or understanding Chinese dancing.

Qing Qing Li (Chloe Li): As a dedicated and experienced Choreographer and Dance Educator, Qing Qing Chloe Li works with all ages and abilities towards strengthening movement awareness and the mind-body connection. Not only has she been exploring and creating movement for a lifetime and discovered dance through her intuitive connection with music, but has also been able to interject her unique eastern background into choreography.

As a professional dancer herself, Chloe excels at a diverse range of dance styles ranging from Classical Chinese dance, Chinese folk dance, Contemporary dance through to Latin and ballet. In particular, as an expert of Chinese Folk dance, she is enthusiastic in researching specific onmovement of Chinese Minority Folk dances, and this enables her to fuse elements of these genres within her choreography confidently.

Fenfen Huang was born in the province of zhejiang, south of shanghai, on the eastern coast of china. She has been trained in various dance forms including Chinese, Contemporary, Jazz, Ballroom and Street from Beijing Dance Academy, Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Liverpool Community College, New York Broadway Dance Studio. Rambert Dance School and London Contemporary Dance School and is specialized in Chinese and Contemporary.

She is currently based in liverpool and has done a number of workshops, choreography, performing and directing assignments across the U.K.

Beijing-born Han Ying began her musical studies at the age of six with the piano, later taking up the Yang Qin (Chinese Cimbalom) with Zhou Ying Yun at the Shen Zhen Arts School. At the invitation of Prof Wang Guo Tong she commenced studies at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 1997 on full scholarship, graduating in 2001 with the Advanced Diploma in both Yang Qin and Chinese Percussion.

Ying’s varied performance career has included concerts as both soloist and accompanist with various Chinese music ensembles in China, Hong Kong and parts of Europe, including Austria, Holland and the UK.

Acrobat; one of the best known female acrobats in China, leading artist of Hunan Acrobat Troupe; winner of national and international competitions.

Acrobat; jumped into the world of circus at the age of six. He has won several gold and silver medals in national and international competitions.

Born in Gansu Province in northwest of China. Hu has a passion for Dizi and Xiao music since he was a child. He developed his skills under the guidance of several masters.

He worked as a Dizi player in the Gansu Province Opera Troupe for several years, and then entered the Department of Art in the Northwest Teacher’s University, Lanzhou, Gansu Province. After his graduation in 1987, he worked as an art teacher at the same university. He was also a freelance Dizi and Xiao player. He has been performing in Europe since the early 1990s.

Opera performer, trained at the Beijing Opera School in China for four years. Has ten years of professional theatre experience in Europe and China. Founder of Beijing Opera Society. Co-founder of China Star.

Founder of China People Promotions. Widely acclaimed as the new generation of Chinese composer in this country as well as in mainland China. Many of his works have been performed and published. He now resides and works in the UK.

Jiang Li’s performing and composing career covers more than a twenty-year period, rich in its content of Chinese music with Western influences, he is keen to promote and expand his repertoire.

Many of Jiang Li’s music are recorded on CD including the music his compositions and arranegments.

Jiang Li has been awarded a Fellowship Programme from NESTA – the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts.

He was one of three finalists for a Pearl Award in the Creative Excellence Category.

Find out more about Jiang Li..

Graduated from Beijing Dance Academy and specialises in Chinese ethnic dances. She is an experienced workshop leader and performer who performs and teaches throughout the country for many years.

Jiang Xiaocun is also Chinese Taichi teacher and co-founder of the UK Chinese Acrobatic Company.

Kelly, Xiao Ran, was born into a musical family in Xi’an, central China. She began to learn piano at the age of 4 and studied Guzheng at the age of 6 with her aunt Ms Yin Qun, a well-known Chinese GuZheng performer. She joined the Xi’an youth Orchestra in 1995 at the age of 9 and has been part of many award-winning performances. In 1998, at the age of 12, she obtained the 9th grade certificate in guzheng, the highest level issued by Chinese Musicians Association. In 2001, she studied composition in the junior school of Xian Academy of Music.

During her stay in the UK, she has participated in many major events organised by Chinese embassy and various Charity organisations, including the Chinese Embassy Spring Festival Celebration of 2004 and “Chinese Night” organised by Brunel University.

Pipa master, performing and teaching to a wide range of communities. Also writing music for Chinese orchestra, Now working and living in the US.

Li Ming Multi instrumenalist Li Ming was born in Shenyang, northeast China. He was a yangqin player with the Liaoning Provincial Music and Dance Ensemble before coming to Britain in the 1990s. He performs regularly throughout the UK including the Purcell Room and at the Edinburgh Festival. Li Ming plays yangqin, dizi, hulusi, and percussion.

Keyboard and guitar player. Originally from Malaysia and has performed widely in the UK.

Well known Chinese Poet. Founder of Chinese Artnet and Cyber Tea House. He is also a song writer and working with different musicians and groups.

Grew up in a musical family. She began her musical training when she was very young. A Gu zheng soloist also a traditional Chinese dancer. Liao Zinan performs at concerts as well as giving Chinese music workshops throughout the country.

Erhu – Chinese Violin Player from very young age. He also plays the guitar and going studio works for many years.

Sheng and Dizi Player, a multi-instruments player he also plays Xiao, Xun and Suna (Chinese trumpet).

Famous Chinese water painting artist. He’s traditional style painting also with western influrence.

Starts her classical dance training at the age of 4, graduated from Beijing Dance Academy, performing and teaching Chinese dance.

Specialising in recreate old Shang Hai theme, drama and settings.

Ruan player. She graduated at the Central Conservatory of Music in 1982 and became the first teacher in China Conservatory of Music to establish the Ruan as a major instrument.

In 1987, she won the first prize in the First Folk Music Competition held in Shanghai. In 1997, she was invited by the Swiss National Radio Station to give a joint concert with Xu Pingxin and Wei Li. Her performance was highly appraised and was commented as an outstanding pipa and ruan musician.

Performs on various Chinese Traditional Instruments including Dizi, Erhu, Banhu, Yan, etc. Specialising in Peking Opera.

Quanna lives in Cambridge in the UK, she started performing, singing and dancing when she was 9 in China on Shenzhen TV and CCTV whilst also hosting events for TV shows.

She has studied singing and dance in both China and the UK, she is a professional singer and dancer, her skills are: Ballet, Jazz, Chinese Dance, Tap, Singing and Hosting at events, whilst also working as a Model for magazines. Quanna has been performing for 11 years.

Rosemary held a number of exhibitions in Canada where she lived for 30 years. She now lives in Northampton.

Sun Zhou was born in Xian, China and learnt the zheng from a young child. In 1994, she majored in zheng at the National Music Department of the Central Conservatory in Beijing supervised by the famous zither educationalist Professor Li Meng.

She has won numerous awards and prizes such as the Youth Group of the National zheng Invitation Contest, the Fucheng xian scholarship from the Central Conservatory, Millennium zheng Contest held in Taiwan and others. She was recognized as the great talented young zitherist and the new generation Qin zitherist on the cover page of Music Life and the Music Weekly.

In July 2001, she graduated with a Masters degree of arts. Her dissertaion was a debate in the History and Revitalization of The Qin Zheng.

She is currently studying for her PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London. She continues to perform both here in the UK and abroad regularly.

Beibei Wang is an acclaimed international virtuoso percussionist with both Chinese and British musical education background. Beibei has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the classical music world, receiving international praise for her performances.

Following a successful world tour, Beibei now leads a traditional Chinese percussion programme to promote and preserve traditional Chinese percussion at SOAS. Most recently, she was featured as soloist touring China with BBC Concert Orchestra and conductor Barry Wordsworth.

Wang xiao (Annie) was born in Luoyang of China. She began learning the Erhu when she was six years old and graduated from the Wuhan Conservatory of music in China. In 1999 she joined the Headquarters Arts Troupe of the Henan Provincial People’s Armed Police as its Erhu soloist. In 2001 she took part in the Luoyang Casio Young Instrumentalists Competition, where she won a Silver Prize, and in the same month a Gold Prize as an Erhu soloist in the Henan Provincial ‘Hundred Fountains Cup’ Young Instrumentalists Competition.

Before going abroad she was Erhu ,Banhu soloist with the Luoyang Symphony Orchestra.She has given many performances since arriving in the UK.

Soprano; member of Chinese Musicians Association, Life Executive of the Bell Canto Association, Lead Solo Soprano of Guangdong Musical Company. Wei Li has won many distinguished awards in China and abroad, among them: The Best Soprano at the South China Opera Competition and for 3 years between 1992 and 1994, represented China in the Asian Art Festival, and won the prize for the best soprano.

Wei Li now resides in London and lectures at London University in music, opera and drama. In 1997, she was invited by the Swiss National Radio Station to give a joint concert with Xu Pingxin and Miao Xiaoyun, and was hailed as the best Chinese soprano.

Born in Shanghai, Wu Qian began her training at the Shanghai Conservatoire of Music. She went on to win a scholarship at the Menuhin School studying with Irina Zaritskaya. At the age of 15, Qian performed Mozart¡¯s Piano Concerto in E flat Major (K449) in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London and later at the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad, Switzerland.

In 2002 Qian gave recitals in the Royal Festival Hall in Hanover and Amsterdam and in the Steinway Halls of Hamburg and New York where her performance was recorded by NHK TV for broadcast throughout Asia.

Performance and recitals include, Wigmore Hall, the International Music Festival in Klobenz, City Hall, Hong Kong, St. Johns Square, London.

Qian had won many awards including: the Sydney Perry Award, winner of the Tunbridge Wells International Young Artists Competition, Martin Foundation Award, the 2005 Boise Foundation Scholarship. Qian is currently studying on a full scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music with Christopher Elton.

Wu Mengmeng is a talented award-winning guzheng virtuoso. Born in Huaxi village, Jiangsu, southeast China, she learnt the guzheng from the age of six and her talent was noticed during her first stage performance at the age of ten. She has since been selected to give performances worldwide in many countries including Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore and America. In 2002, she entered the Affiliated High School of the China Conservatory of Music, where she studied the guzheng for 6 years with distinguished experts Professor Ji Wei. In 2008, she trained for another 4 years at the Central Conservatory of Music, China under the tutelage of Ji Wei and renowned guzheng Master Professor Li Meng, where she graduated with a BMus in guzheng performance. In the University, Miss WU participated in premieres of Guzheng quartet “One Thousand Kilometers Way to Go”, written by Professor LI Meng and Guzheng trio “Spirit of Zheng”, written by Malaysian composer ZHAO Junyi. Moreover, she was frequently invited to perform for Music Channel of CCTV. She won the Gold Prize for Guzheng Solo in the 4th ZhongSin International Music Competition in 2010 and a Gold Award for guzheng solo in the 1st Huain Cup International Chinese Music Competition in 2012.

Since coming to London 2014, Mengmeng has performed at a wide range of venues including SOAS, University of London, Blackheath Hall with the Trinity Laban Orchestra, the Manchester International Festival (2015) with Damon Albarn, the Lake District Summer Music International Festival. 2017 Mengmeng invited to perform in Birmingham Flatpack Film Festival, Paris Journéesd’ Informatique Musicale and House of Lords of the Parliament etc.

Yang acrobatic artists who grew up in a acrobatic family. She started her professional training at a very young age.

She performs Rolling Glasses, Balancing Act, etc

Gu Zheng Soloist, graduated from Shanghai Music Conservatory, and has many years of performing and teaching experience. She has Guzheng classese in different cities throughout the country.

Yangqin (Chinese dulcimer) master. He graduated under the best Yangqin teachers from Central Conservatory of Music and China Conservatory of Music and was one of the first students to hold a masters degree in Yangqin performance. In 1993, Xu represented China to play in Czech Republic at the Grand World Dulcimer Congress and the International Dulcimer Festival in Germany.

In 1997, he was invited by the Swiss National Radio Station to give a joint concert with Wei Li and Miao Xiaoyun, and was acclaimed as master of Chinese dulcimer. He moved to Canada in 1999 and still returns to the UK for performances.

Guzheng soloist. Miss Yang Zhijuan started learning Guzheng at the age of 11 from Sun Hongyan, a famous Guzheng musician in China, and obtained professional Guzheng certificate issued by Chinese Musicians Association. Since her study in theatre and performance in the University of Wales, she had performed Guzheng in variety of shows and events, including Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.

She is also a artist who promotes Chinese culture through workshops in schools and community groups.

Acrobat; former lead acrobat of the renowned Hunan Acrobat Troupe, and a winner of many national and international awards. His acts including close up magic, face-changing, Lion dance etc.

Miss Zhang Yanhui was born in a water-town of Hunan province, South China. She started to learn playing Guzheng when she was 12 years old. Her first tutor is Mrs. Shen Yan, who graduates from Hunan Teaching University majoring in Chinese ancient music. One year later she began to attend some activities and competitions. Then she met her second tutor-Mr. Song Zerong, a maestro in Guzheng and Yangqin and the professor of Chinese music department of Hunan Teaching University. From then on her playing skills have been improved dramatically and quickly. She did many solos and got a lot of awards.

Wen is a well-known PIPA soloist in the UK, mainland China and Canada. She also plays different kinds of Chinese lutes. Apart from solo, giving workshops, she also performed with many multicultural orchestras in England and Canada.

Although she is emigrated to Canada in 1999, but she still has many projects over the UK.

Well-known Yangqin and percussion soloist, member of Beijing Brothers Chinese Orchestra based in London. He has been an outstanding Yangqin soloist in Beijing Film Orchestra and has dubbed more than 100 Chinese films and TV series and his records have been some of the best sellers in China. (CD available)

From Hunan province in central China, he is one of the most experienced Tai Chi – Chi Gong masters in the UK. At the age of 14, he was accepted as a student of the famous Kung Fu Master – Xiao Shang. Later Master Zho Yang was adopted as a follower of the renowned Tai Chi grand Master Ho Fu Sheng who also taught him Jing Yee. Master Zhou Yang also learnt Shao Lin Chi Gong from the famous Master Wong Shiu Ting.

Famous Gu Zheng Master from Shanghai. Her profession includes performance, teaching, recording for over 20 years. She has her own Guzheng school in London.