Production Details

Deep Roots
Melody of China presents a  colorful and exciting program spans various regions of China, including Sichuan, Yunnan, and Suzhou as well as Tibet and Mongolia, performed by virtuoso musicians on traditional instruments: erhu (2-string bowed fiddle); yangqin (hammered dulcimer); guzheng (table harp); pipa (lute); sheng (mouth organ); dizi (bamboo flute) and paigu (drums and percussion). The program features guest artist Rachel Xu on cello and a new work, The Enchantment of Dance by composer Phil Young.

Melody of China
Melody of China, a nonprofit ensemble based in San Francisco, is the premiere Chinese music ensemble in the United States. The organization was formed in 1993 by a group of enthusiastic professional musicians from some of the most prestigious music conservatories in China.Yangqin (Chinese Hammered Dulcimer) virtuoso Yangqin Zhao is Director of the Melody of China (MoC) ensemble. Serving an annual audience of more than 10,000, Melody of China performances have broken barriers in combining traditional Chinese music with contemporary works by influential composers such as Kui Dong, Gang Situ and Yuanlin Chen. Over the years, MoC has commissioned over 40 new works by 20 contemporary composers and has performed at numerous Bay Area public schools. The ensemble has a two-fold mission: to promote Chinese classical, folk and contemporary music, and to provide quality entertainment through the synergy between an ancient cultural tradition and youthful, multi-colored American culture.

Artist Biographies

Yangqin Zhao
The director and one of the founders of Melody of China. Prophetically named after the instrument she plays, has established herself as one of the foremost yangqin performers in the world. A member of Chinese Musicians’ Association and the Chinese Nationalities Orchestra Society, Ms. Zhao graduated with Honors from the Music Department of the Nanjing Normal University and became the head of the faculty of Instrumental Music of the university. She won the highest award by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in 1982. Ms. Zhao also won first prize at the Jiangsu Provincial Arts Festival in 1987 and 1991. Her profile appeared in the "Who's Who in Young Chinese" and "The Chinese Musicians Yearbook” in 1990. Ms. Zhao has been invited to perform internationally in Australia, the Netherlands, Belgium, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico and Germany. In June of 1996, she was invited as one of seven greatest musicians hailed as masters on the yangqin for the Tanz & Folk Fest Rudolstadt (Folk Instruments Festival) in Germany. Ms. Zhao also represented China and the United States playing the Chinese hammered dulcimer at the International Santur Festival in Iran in 2003. She has performed at Lincoln Center, with the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, The Woman Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony.

Phil Young
Phil Young (杨智华) composes music in various forms, including symphonic, chamber, electronic, vocal, and film. His ability of fusing Chinese and western elements in his music enriches his originality. His music has been performed at music institutions and venues such as SF Conservatory of Music, UNC at Chapel Hill, the Royal Northern College of Music and King’s College in England, Vladimir Music Expedition Festival and Mariinsky Theater Concert Hall in Russia, Mas i Mas in Barcelona, Herbst Theater in San Francisco, Shanghai Symphony Concert Hall Auditorium, and by music ensembles including Seattle Symphony, Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley Orchestra, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, San Francisco Conservatory of Music Orchestra, and many others.

Gangqin Zhao
A member of Chinese Musicians’ Association, Gangqin finished her study in the Music Department of Nanjing Normal University in 1987. She was named one of the Ten Best Musicians by the university in 1990. She was an instructor of guzheng in the Nanjing Children Music and Dance School for years before she immigrated to U.S. in late 1990s. She has performed internationally in Singapore, Denmark and Germany. Currently, she is the director of Chinese Arts & Music Center in San Francisco. She is the Director of the Chinese Arts and Music Center in San Francisco. Her students competed in the 2010 International World Cup Chinese Instruments Competition where they won Gold Medals.

Rachel Xu
Rachel Xu is an active musician and teacher in the Bay Area as cellist, teacher, and conductor. She won the accolade “Excellent Performer” at the First Session of the National Cello Competition (China). Xu has served as principal cellist in the Nova Vista Symphony; permanent conductor of the Voice of Harmony Artists Choir, South Bay Chinese Orchestra; and the DJwind Music Academy Orchestra. She is a member of the Music Teacher's Association of California, and an evaluator for the Certificate of Merit.

Shenshen Zhang
Ms. Zhang entered the college at the Beijing Central Conservatory of Music in 1988. She won the "Outstanding Performance Award” in Young Professional Pipa Performer category in the 1st International ART Cup Chinese Traditional Instruments Competition. After graduating from the Conservatory with a Bachelor's degree in performance in 1992, Ms. Zhang entered Xiamen Opera House as a Pipa soloist. In 2005, she earned the master’s degree in musicology. Having collaborating with Symphony Silicon Valley, the "Bridge" Chamber Virtuosi, Xiamen Philharmonic Symphony and Xiamen Opera House orchestra, and with conductor Paul Lolivnick, Han Zhongjie, Yan Liangkun, and Zheng Xiaoying, also with composer Yuanlin Chen, Joan Huang, Jim Francisco, and choreographer Alonzo King. She represented San Francisco at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Xiaofeng Zhang
Xiaofeng Zhang specializes in the Chinese two-stringed fiddle, the erhu, and has performed with renowned orchestras, ensembles, and as a soloist all over the world. Xiaofeng Zhang has been teaching and performing both in China and the United States. From 1984 to 1997, Zhang was a member of the National Traditional Orchestra of China, touring within China and abroad. As a soloist, Zhang was featured by the Beijing Radio Broadcasting station, one of the largest radio stations in China, in a show entitled, “Xiaofeng Zhang’s Solo Performances.” Additionally, Zhang has performed Erhu with traditional ensembles touring throughout China as well as Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States.
In 1997, Zhang Xiaofeng immigrated to the United States and was one of the founders of the Jumping Buddha Ensemble. She is continually active performing Erhu in various festivals and world music concerts. As a soloist, Xiaofeng Zhang has been an active member participating in almost all of the San Francisco World Music Festival. Xiaofeng Zhang currently is a board member of Door Dog Music productions, director of The Jumping Buddha Ensemble and The Jumping Buddha Youth Ensemble.

Wanpeng Guo
Wanpeng Guo is a member of the Asian Orchestra, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, China National Chinese Orchestra, China Musician Association, China Nationalities Orchestra Society, and China National Wind Instrument Society. He has performed in the United States, France, German, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, and Austria. His music has been released on China Records, Hugo Records, and Wana Records. Since immigrating to the US in 2001, Mr. Guo has been the Sheng instructor/ conductor in Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra in San Jose, and the conductor of Great Wall Youth Orchestra in Oakland.

Xian Lu
After graduating from Nanjing Normal University, Xian Lu continued his studies in musicology in the Department of Music of Turku University in Finland in 1991. He won first prize in wind instruments at the First Chinese Folk Music Instrument Competition. He has shown on the stages in Australia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Russia and the United States. In addition to flute, Xian Lu also plays many of the traditional Chinese wind instruments, including Xiao, Bawu, Xun. Currently, Mr. Lu is the guest professor of wind instruments in Laney College, Oakland, California.