THE CHINESE MUSIC ENSEMBLE OF NEW YORK
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Conductor 

指揮

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Julian Gau​​

​高藇懷
Erhu/Cello/Xylophone | 二胡/大提琴/木琴​
​Julian Gau is the resident conductor and music director of the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York (CMENY). He joined CMENY as an erhu player and cellist and became the music director in 2022. Julian is also the founder and music director of the Boston-based Horizon Ensemble and has been the assistant conductor at Opera Saratoga and a New Music Conducting Fellow at the Composers Conference. He studied music and mathematics at Brown University and graduated with a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the Boston Conservatory. 

Bowed Strings

拉弦

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Wen-jie xia

夏文杰
​Erhu/Banhu/Gaohu | 二胡/板胡/高胡
Wen-jie Xia is the concertmaster of CMENY. Previously, he was the banhu soloist at the Shanghai Opera House and the principal player of the erhu, zhonghu, and gaohu in the orchestra. While in China, he was involved in operatic productions and has composed several works. In addition, he has won several prizes in solo competitions. He graduated from the School of the Shanghai Traditional Orchestra.

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Fei fei yang

楊飛飛
​Erhu/Banhu/Gaohu | 二胡/板胡/高胡
​Fei Fei Yang is a virtuoso on the Erhu and Banhu and a vocalist. She is a dual Global Music Award Winner. She has performed in legendary settings such as the United Nations, Abu Dhabi Palace, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Barclays Center, CBS, WNBC, and others. She has performed for the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, the Rockefeller’s, Steve Forbes, China’s President and the First Lady. Her singles and albums include You Will Never Be Alone, Heroic China, Love Will Win Again, Tug of War, Dance of the Strings, Gu•Ran, and China Caribe. She studied banhu at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music and was recognized with the honor of Outstanding Graduate Student of all of Liaoning province’s colleges. In 2007, she became the first master's recipient for banhu in the Conservatory’s history. She was the first place winner of the AWZG Chinese Young Artists Talent Selection and the Best Creativity Award winner in CCTV's “Chinese New Year Gala” US Talent Hunt. Fei Fei holds additional master's degrees in education from Adelphi University and arts and cultural management from the Pratt Institute. She is also a member of the Chinese Musician’s Association and Liaoning Traditional Chinese Orchestral Music Association.

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Inna Lu

陸英娜
​Erhu | 二胡
Inna Lu, a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, is an eminent erhu soloist. She gained international acclaim when she performed at the 2015 Met Gala, themed "China: Through the Looking Glass," alongside Rihanna. Her talent has graced community events like the Lunar New Year event at the University of New Haven, prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Gramercy Theatre, and global events like New York Fashion Week and the United Nations, as well as the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York. She serves as the erhu soloist for a unique rock band, and their album is available on multiple music streaming platforms. In addition, she has won the first place award in several solo competitions.​

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Hina Zhang

張日妮
​Erhu | 二胡
​Hina Zhang, born and raised in Japan, stared her professional erhu training at the age of 4. She has participated in many concerts, performed on television, collaborated with symphonic orchestras, and is known for playing violin music using the erhu. Since 2017, Zhang has been a Special Cultural Ambassador of Japan. She performed in the 2021 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davo, the 2023 China-Japan 50th Anniversary of Normalization, and the 2023 Bund Global Financial Summit in Shanghai. She graduated with a bachelor's of music in classical voice from the Manhattan School of Music and studied marketing and business administration at NYU. Over the years, she traveled back to China to receive professional erhu education from the Central Conservatory of Music Prep School and under the guidance of Fei Song.

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Danting Qiao

喬丹婷
​
​Erhu | 二胡
Danting Qiao is the former concertmaster of the Peking University Chinese Orchestra. She studied arts administration at Baruch College.

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Chia-yu Joy Lu

呂家玗
​Erhu/Zhonghu | 二胡/中胡
Chia-Yu Joy Lu 呂家玗, a multifaceted and accomplished musician and scholar from Taiwan, is renowned for her expertise in erhu and zhonghu performance, as well as ensemble directing. With performances across the globe, including prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Yale University, Lu has dedicated over a decade to directing Chinese music ensembles. Before her US career, she led ensembles in Taiwan and has since directed the Wesleyan Chinese Music Ensemble for over ten years. Additionally, she played a pivotal role in establishing and leading the Smith College Chinese Music Ensemble and the New Haven Chinese Cultural Cooperative. Holding a PhD in ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University, an MA in ethnomusicology from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a BFA in erhu performance and music education from National Taiwan Normal University, Lu’s research delves into music, gender, national politics, and ethnic identity in Taiwan and China. She has authored a music textbook, erhu music scores, and albums, and her passion extends to collaborative endeavors where she blends Chinese music with diverse traditions such as Javanese gamelan, jazz, klezmer, classical music, and Taiwanese Opera. Committed to promoting traditional Chinese and Taiwanese music, Lu eagerly explores various artistic disciplines to broaden her horizons.​

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Jivan ramesh
林子云

Cello | 大提琴
Jivan Xander Ramesh (林子云) is a New York composer and cellist. He started playing cello and composing at the age of 3. At 5, he became the youngest string player to perform at Carnegie Hall, and his first composition was performed by an ensemble at Madison Theatre in New York. Jivan composes in many musical styles for Western and Chinese instruments. He has won numerous composition competitions and received commissions for festivals and orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic. He was named as a “Composer to Watch” by BMI.
Jivan is also an accomplished cellist who has won numerous awards including the International Protege Award, the Tilles Scholar award, and the Dianne Dianese Flagelo Scholarship. He has performed at Lincoln Center, the United Nations, the Juilliard School, the Staller Center, Symphony Space, Alice Tully Hall, the Manhattan School of Music, the Ashokan Center, and 54 Below, among others, and has performed for numerous world and US leaders. He performs in numerous styles including Classical, Chinese, Fiddle, and Jazz. Jivan received his BS in Music and Biochemistry at Stony Brook University and is a graduate of Juilliard Pre College. He is currently attending the George Washington University for his Juris Doctorate.

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He Tao
何濤

Gaohu/Erhu | 高胡/二胡(Guest Musician| 客座音樂家)
He Tao, an acclaimed erhuist from Shanghai, began her studies under her father and trained for 11 years at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music with Professors Nie Jingyu and Xu Jiangde. She also studied piano, cello, and guzheng. After graduating in 1992, she joined the China Broadcast Chinese Orchestra as erhu and gaohu player, appearing as soloist in major concerts televised nationally, including Centennial Anniversary of A Bing and the Beijing International Arts Salon Festival. In 1999, she moved to Singapore as a contract artist with Expect Music, expanding her artistry into jazz and pop. Her albums Madam What’s Next and After Asians led to over 30 international concerts and coverage on Channel News Asia and CNBC. She also performed for Singapore’s Prime Minister at the P2000 Campaign Rally. From 2002, He joined the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, featured in productions such as Urban Romanticism and Capering Notes. As a featured artist, she won acclaim on Hong Kong Radio’s Chamber Elegance program and collaborated widely as both performer and educator. Since immigrating to the U.S. in 2012, she has performed at Toronto’s Music Festival, Ivy League universities, Boston Chinese Ensemble’s 30th Anniversary, and Chicago’s Chinese Fine Arts Society Festival.

*Names in this section are listed in alphabetical order by last name

Kevin Chen
陳嘉偉

Erhu | 二胡​

Shih Yun Chen
陳士芸

Zhonghu | 中胡

Xin-Zhang Chen
陳新章

Zhonghu | 中胡

Kwok-Kay Choey

徐國基
Erhu/Zhonghu | 二胡/中胡

Guo-Guang Jiang
蒋国光

Cello | 大提琴

Allan Lee
李哲陽

Erhu | 二胡

Allegra Vacin
​

Double Bass | 低音提琴

Tianzi Zheng
鄭天滋

Erhu | 二胡

Anchi Lin
林安琪

Erhu | 二胡

Yao-Xong Liu
劉有雄

Erhu | 二胡

Kazuo Nakamura
中村一雄

Double Bass | 低音提琴

Mei Hua Shen
沈美華

Erhu | 二胡

Qi-zhen Tsai
蔡振啟

Double Bass | 低音提琴

Wenrai Wang
王文瑞

Erhu | 二胡

Xinhua Li
李興華

Zhonghu | 中胡

Yongping Wu
伍詠萍

Erhu | 二胡

Xingchen Yu
于星辰

Erhu | 二胡

Huan-jie Yuan
袁焕杰

Erhu | 二胡

Qing Ping Xiao
蕭慶平

Cello | 大提琴

Jingwen Zhang
張婧雯

Erhu | 二胡

Xiyu Zhang
張曦羽

Erhu | 二胡

shu-ren zhao
趙樹人

Zhonghu | 中胡

Plucked Strings

彈撥

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Hong-tao Sun

​孫洪濤
Pipa | 琵琶
Hong-Tao Sun is a distinguished musician and administrator. He graduated from the Music School of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music where he studied with the renowned pipa (pear-shaped lute) Master teachers Zhong-le Wei and Rong-Zhu Ying. From 1974-1991, he was a principal soloist when he worked at the Shanghai Dance Academy and performed with Shanghai Performing Arts Troupe until he came to the United States in January 1991. Mr. Sun is the principal of the plucking string section of CMENY, represents the ensemble in many performances as a soloist, and teaches pipa in its educational programs. Mr. Sun has been the Executive Director of CMENY since 2011.

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Wei Sun

​孫薇
Guzheng | 古箏
Wei Sun is an award-winning artist and the principal guzheng player at CMENY. She is a national certified senior teacher of guzheng and a member of the Chinese National Instrumental Association and International Guzheng Association. Wei's innovative use of the seven-tone guzheng allows her to break the usual pentatonic limitations of traditional Chinese instruments. She came to the US as a guzheng performer and guzheng teacher at the CBA Cultural and Art Center in 2016. Sun has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the United Nations, Pace University, Columbia University, Merkin Hall, Flushing Townhall, and Queens College Art Center, to name a few. She has also performed as part of the Broadway musical show "Noble Family". She studied music at the Communication University of China.

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Eugenie Chen

陳玥駸
Zhongruan/Liuqin | 中阮/柳琴
Eugenie Chen is a classically trained ruan and liuqin artist. Born and raised in Shanghai, she started playing ruan at the age of five and liuqin at age nine. In 2007, Chen was invited by the China Central Television to record a solo performance of “A Remote Song” (幽远的歌声) for a program featuring top young musicians in the nation. Later that year, her ensemble Jin Qi (金豈组合) took first place in the National Classical Chinese Music Competition. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and other venues both as a soloist and a collaborator. In 2015, she was invited to perform at the 2015 Met Gala themed "China: Through the Looking Glass" as a featured guest artist and shared a stage with Rihanna. She studied ruan and liuqin performance at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under Professor Wu Qiang. 

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Sulwyn Lok

駱思衛
Zhongruan | 中阮
Sulwyn Lok is a Singaporean composer and accomplished ruan player who integrates his unique cultural and social background from multiple Southeast Asian sources as a Chinese instrumentalist and an innovative multimedia composer. His works have been premiered at the Cannes and Busan film festivals, and he is a Best Original Music winner at the National Youth Film Awards. 

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Chengjin Koh

​高程錦
Yangqin | 揚琴
Chengjin Koh is an award-winning Singaporean composer and yangqin player at CMENY. As a yangqin player, she was one of the youngest grand prize winners of the Singapore Chinese Music Competition and performed as a soloist with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra at eighteen. As a composer, she seeks to transcend boundaries through the multicultural and interdisciplinary reinvention of musical meaning. She has worked with the Paris-based Ensemble InterContemporain, China Conservatory of Music, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Ding Yi Music Company, Verona Quartet, National Sawdust, Metropolis Ensemble, and New Thread Quartet, among others. Her accolades include the BMI Foundation Young Composer (William Schuman) Prize, an ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award, the Society of New Music Brian Israel Prize, Palmer Dixon Award and Gena Raps Chamber Music Prize (The Juilliard School), and the Boston New Music Initiative Prize. She was commissioned by the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art for their centennial celebration and was the commissioned composer for the Singapore International Violin Competition. Having completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at The Juilliard School, she is pursuing a doctorate in music composition at NYU. ​

*Names in this section are listed in alphabetical order by last name

Qinning Cao

曹清宁
Pipa | 琵琶

Corrie Chen

陳月婷
Yangqin | 揚琴

Victor Chen

陳肇良
Liuqin/Zhongruan | 柳琴/中阮

Xinran Chen​

陳欣然
Pipa | 琵琶

Siwei Gong

龚思维
Pipa | 琵琶

Ran Guo

果然
Daruan | 大阮

Zhaoshun Guo

果兆順
Pipa | 琵琶

Xinyi Han

韩馨逸
Zhongruan | 中阮

Xiuzhen Liang

梁秀貞
Zhongruan | 中阮

Cong Liu

劉聰
Guzheng | 古箏

Wei Wang

王薇
Zhongruan | 中阮

Alice Wou Choey

吳璧媛
Daruan | 大阮

Vanessa Wu

吳新穎
​​Yangqin | 揚琴

Zhi Ping Yang

鄔志萍
​Yangqin | 揚琴

Yubo Zhang

張宇博
​Pipa | 琵琶

Guo-yun Zheng

鄭國云
Pipa | 琵琶

Winds

管樂

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YuYuan Xu

徐煜源
Bangdi/Qudi/Xindi/Xiao | 梆笛/曲笛/新笛/簫​
Yuyuan Xu is a resident bamboo flute player at CMENY. He served in the Shanghai Beijing Opera Troupe for 27 years. Xu is also a resident artist and the flute instructor of the Kunqu Workshop and flute instructor at the New Jersey United Chinese School Music Ensemble. He is a graduate from the Department of Chinese Folk Music of the Shanghai Academy of Music, majoring in dizi (Chinese flute). 

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TsuJui Carrie Chin

金祖瑞
Sheng/Alto Sheng | 笙/中音台笙
Tsujui Carrie Chin is a graduate of the National Taiwan Academy of Arts (now known as the National Taiwan University of Arts) majoring in sheng performance. From 1989 to 1993 she was a first-generation member of the Kaohsiung City Chinese Orchestra (KCCO), the first professional Chinese orchestra in southern Taiwan, with which she performed in more than 100 concerts and recorded 3 albums. KCCO participated in the Asian Games Arts Festival in Beijing in 1990, the first Taiwanese Chinese Orchestra to officially visit mainland China. Since 2003, Carrie has been with CMENY and has performed with them at several prestigious venues including the Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall.​

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Katelyn Weng

翁夢昕
Bangdi/Qudi/Xiao/Hulusi | 梆笛/曲笛/簫/葫蘆絲
Katelyn Weng began her musical journey learning piano at the age of six and Chinese flute at the age of eight, studying under Mr. Yuyuan Xu. She became a member of CMENY in 2010. After winning first place in the Eastern Music category in the SINO-US International Campus Cultural Arts Festival in Beijing in 2011, she returned to attend the CCTV Colorful Gala in 2013. She is a graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia Arts High School in Manhattan and has a doctorate in pharmacy from St. John’s University. 

*Names in this section are listed in alphabetical order by last name

Jeff Fairbank


​Tenor Suona | 中音嗩呐

Hongyu Gu

谷泓毅
Qudi | 曲笛

Hang Sheng Huang

黃杭升
Bangdi | 梆笛​

Tong Kong

孔童
Qudi | 曲笛

Jia Nan

賈楠
Alto Suona | 高音嗩呐

GUANJUN Qi

齊冠鈞
Qudi | 曲笛

mingze tang

唐銘澤
Sheng | 笙

Jouan Yu

余祐安
Qudi | 曲笛

Zhisheng Zhang

張志生
Alto Sheng | 
笙

Percussion

打擊樂

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William PengCheng Yuan

袁鵬程
Percussion/Yangqin |打擊樂​​/揚琴
William Pengcheng Yuan is the principal percussionist of the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York. He has performed at many acclaimed venues, such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Merkin Hall and is a highly respected yangqin (Chinese hammer dulcimer) and percussion teacher in the New York and New Jersey areas for over 20 years. Yuan is a graduate of the Tianjin Conservatory of Music, majoring in yangqin.  

*Names in this section are listed in alphabetical order by last name

ADRIENNE GAU
高藇安

Percussion/Yangqin |打擊樂/揚琴​​

GRACE GOSS
​

Percussion |打擊樂​​

Shutong Li
李梳童​

Percussion |打擊樂​​

Yuankang Li
李元康

Percussion |打擊樂​​

Jessica Lin
林惠芳

Percussion |打擊樂​​

lU Ye
葉露

Percussion |打擊樂​​

Qing-ze Wang
王清澤

Percussion |打擊樂​​

Shawn Wu
吳成翔​

Percussion |打擊樂​​
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  • Home
  • About
    • The Orchestra
    • The Musicians
    • Leadership
    • Join
    • Contact Us
  • Explore
    • The Music >
      • The Instruments
    • Partners
  • Learn
    • Youth Program
    • Private Lessons
  • Events
    • Event Calendar
  • Support Us