A Night of Chinese and Persian Music

An Evening of Chinese and Persian Music" includes traditional repertoire as well as new works for mixed ensemble including Chinese and Persian instruments. Melody of China will be joined by guest artist Amir Etemadzadeh and Aydin Shaterian. ”An Evening of Chinese and Persian Music" blends Chinese and Persian traditional aesthetics with contemporary rhythms and tonality to give voice to the changing tides of global culture. The work also reflects and empowers the local bay area community through a shared vision of strength through diverse partnerships and creative arts.

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.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. 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.

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 the U.S. in the late 1990s. She has performed internationally in Singapore, Denmark and Germany. Currently.  She is the director of Chinese Arts & Music Center in San Francisco, as well as 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 were awarded Gold Medals.

Shenshen Zhang

Ms. Zhang began her training 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 a master’s degree in musicology. She has collaborated 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, as well as with composers 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 Erhu, or Chinese two-stringed fiddle, 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 participant in the San Francisco World Music Festival. She currently serves as board member for Door Dog Music productions, and is director of The Jumping Buddha Ensemble and The Jumping Buddha Youth Ensemble.

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.

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.

Amir Etemadzadeh

Amir is a Bay Area–based musician, percussionist, educator, and cultural ambassador specializing in Persian and Middle Eastern rhythms. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts in 2024, his work spans performance, education, and cross-cultural collaboration. Trained at Tehran University and UC Santa Cruz, Amir is the founder of the Amir School of Music, where he has taught over 1,000 students. Through performance and teaching, he brings living musical traditions into modern cultural contexts.

Aydin Shaterian

Aydin Shaterian is a master musician of Iranian and Azerbaijani classical music, known for his expressive command of the tar. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, he is an active performer in the world music scene, presenting concerts rooted in Persian modal traditions and Azerbaijani rhythmic language. His performances blend technical mastery with soulful improvisation, bringing the depth and emotional power of Middle Eastern string music to contemporary audiences.