Meet the Performers

Xue Bai, Soprano

Ever since drawing public attention in 1988 by winning China’s National Excellent Performer Award, Xue Bai has gained recognition with the expressive quality of her voice and her attractive stage appearance. She was formerly a soloist with the China Light Music Ensemble and has made numerous recordings in China. Her vocal agility enables her to perform a wide range of music, from arias of the Western classic-romantic tradition to Chinese folksongs. Her album entitled For You I Come highlights her bel canto technique. In recent years she has been invited to perform in major productions in Europe, Australia, and across North America.

Ningfang Chen, Flutist

Flutist and Chinese National First-Class Performer Ningfang Chen has performed extensively both as a soloist and as a member of various orchestras and ensembles. Formerly she was a member of China’s Central Philharmonic Orchestra for over 30 years, during which time she also played an active role as a member of the orchestra’s soloists’ ensemble, woodwind quintet, and the Beijing Women’s Philharmonic. With the Central Philharmonic Orchestra, Chen played in concerts around the world, on occasion with renowned musicians such as Seiji Ozawa, Isaac Stern, and Yehudi Menuhin. In 1987 she was among the orchestra members taking part in a concert tour of 24 cities in the United States, performing at venues such as the Lincoln Center in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. After moving to the U.S. in 2000, Chen has given concerts in many cities in North America and Europe with the trio (two flutes and cello) and the septet that she founded.

Chen is also a composer and artist devoted to bettering the communication between Chinese and Western cultures through music and other performing arts.

Pi-Chuan Chen, Choreographer

Pi-Chuan Chen’s knowledge of classical Chinese dance and the dances of China’s many ethnic traditions is extensive. A graduate of the Department of Dance of the Central Institute of Drama in Beijing, Ms. Chen was for many years a principal dancer with the Huanan Arts Troupe before joining the faculty of the Guangdong (Canton) School of Dance. Since moving to the United States, she has been committed to promoting Chinese culture through dance, teaching at institutions such as the Arts Education Society in New York.

Rutang Chen, Conductor

For over three decades, Rutang Chen was a cellist for China’s Central Philharmonic Society Orchestra, predecessor of the China National Symphony Orchestra. In the Society, Mr. Chen developed into a sensitive artist, conductor, and capable music administrator. He was also given the official designation, “National First-Class Performer” for his mastery of the cello.

As the Society’s manager from 1983 to 1990, Mr. Chen organized hundreds of educational concerts to promote public interest in symphonic music. He was the key figure in bringing about the momentous “Spring of Orchestral Music in Beijing” in 1986, whose concerts saw the participation of over 800 musicians, including eleven top Chinese conductors. Broadcast throughout China, the event was a grand success and has become a landmark in the musical history of Beijing. In 1987, as a result of Mr. Chen’s effort, the Central Philharmonic Society Orchestra was able to tour the United States and debut at notable venues in 24 cities, including Lincoln Center in New York and the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Chen has conducted the Central Philharmonic Society Orchestra, the Central Philharmonic Society Chorus, the Inner Mongolia Broadcast Performing Arts Troupe Orchestra, and the orchestra of the Shenzhen School of the Arts. In 2004 he served as Artistic Director for NTDTV’s Chinese New Year Gala. Currently he is conductor of both the Divine Land Marching Band and the Tianyin Orchestra.

Guimin Guan, Tenor

One of China’s most celebrated tenors of recent decades, Guimin Guan was among the first artists named “First-Class Performer” by China’s Ministry of Culture and has been honored by China’s Foreign Ministry as an “Outstanding Professional & Contributor.” He rose to stardom in the late 1970s through recording film soundtracks as a soloist with the China Film Orchestra. His voice is known for its bright quality, great agility, and boundless energy in the high register. By integrating bel canto technique with Chinese vocal methods, Mr. Guan has mastered a wide range of styles and performs them with great ease and clarity of diction. Many of the songs premiered and popularized by him in the 1980s and 1990s have maintained a firm place in 20th Century China’s musical tradition. 

Peijong Hsieh, Pianist

Peijong Hsieh, a native of Taiwan, started taking lessons in piano, viola, and ballet at the age of six. She took her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance respectively at the Boston University and John Hopkins University’s Peabody Conservatory, and holds a Performance Diploma from the Hartt School, University of Hartford. Her teachers include renowned pianists Chen Hung-Kuan, Boris Slutsky, Gary Steigerwalt, and Neal Larrabee. Besides solo recitals, Ms. Hsieh has taken part in chamber music and orchestral music performances in Taipei as well as various cities in the United States.

Min Jiang, Soprano

Formerly a soloist with the Heilongjiang Province Arts Troupe, Min Jiang has performed in many countries, including Canada and Japan. She received training in both Chinese and Western vocal techniques, and has performed as a soloist at the NTDTV Chinese New Year shows since 2004.

Vina Lee, Choreographer & Lead Dancer

A graduate of the Beijing Academy of Dance, China’s top dance school, Vina Lee is a professional dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher who also takes a keen interest in acting. Ms. Lee has taught classical ballet through a number of institutions in Australia, including the Sydney Dance Company, McDonald College, and the Aboriginal Dance Theater Redfern. As an actress, she has appeared in television series on Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Channel 7, and Channel 9, and has been featured in films produced at the Australian Film Television and Radio School.

Ms. Lee’s strength as a dancer and choreographer is her ability to creatively combine character dancing with acting. In recent years, Ms. Lee has also extended her creative talents to directing television programs. Her 45-minute documentary Three Women was broadcast by NTDTV in 2003 and immediately became a hit on the Internet in China. As part of the 2006 Women’s History Month, Ms. Lee was awarded by the New York State Assembly the honor of “Outstanding Woman Leader” in recognition of her leadership and commitment to humanity.

Xiaochun Qi, Erhu soloist

Erhu soloist Qi Xiaochun is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 1991, she received the Performer’s Award at the 14th “Spring of Shanghai” International Erhu Competition. Ms. Qi’s 2003 performance of music from “The Joy Luck Club” with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra was enthusiastically received. Recently, her busy performing schedule has taken her to many major cities, including Geneva (Switzerland), Boston, New York, Toronto, and Houston.

Michelle Ren, Choreographer & Lead Dancer

A native of China’s Liaoning province, Ms. Ren displayed exceptional talent in dance at the age of six, when she was trained in artistic gymnastics. With extensive performance experience at an early age, in 1997 she won first prize in the youth category of Liaoning province’s Taoli Bei (Peach and Plum Cup) Dance Competition and was the second runner-up in the 2002 “Popular Culture Award” competition organized by China’s Ministry of Culture. Ms. Ren was a soloist and lead dancer in numerous large-scale productions in China, including the celebration of Macau’s return to Chinese sovereignty in 1999.

Since coming to the U.S. in 2002, Ms. Ren has taught with success. Her students’ group dance won an Overall Platinum first prize in the 2004 Showstopper Dance Competition in Anaheim, California. In the same competition she won an Overall Platinum first prize in the teachers’ solo category.

Elly Shu, Choreographer & Lead Dancer

Elly Shu received training in choreography and in classical Chinese dance at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music and the Beijing Academy of Dance. Her dance performances have won her the first prize and the Special Award in the Liaoning Province Dance Competition, the first prize in the adult category of Liaoning province’s Taoli Bei (Peach and Plum Cup) Dance Competition, and the Performance Award in China’s National Dance Competition. As a choreographer, Ms. Shu won first prize in the choreography category of the Taoli Bei Dance Competition and received an Outstanding Composition Award from the Liaoning provincial government. Ms. Shu’s original works in the United States include the dances Calling for Consciousness, Mulan, Heavenly Scene, Tathagata, A Child’s Dream, and The Return of the Soul of China.

Junyi Tan, Pianist & Composer

A former China Opera & Dance Theatre pianist and accordionist, Mr. Tan studied music at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.  He has performed accordion solo on behalf of the China Opera & Dance Theatre and has performed accompaniments for many singers, dancers and performers.  Mr. Tan is currently the Art Director of the Art Department at San Francisco State University and the San Francisco Silicon Valley Choir.  Mr. Tan earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Hotel Management and MBA in International Finance in the United States and has managed many enterprises.  He is currently a committee member of San Pablo City in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Xuejun Wang, Guest Choreographer & Lead Dancer

A native of Beijing, Xuejun Wang graduated from the Beijing Academy of Dance and was a successful dancer in Guangzhou before moving to Australia in 1991. He joined the Sydney Dance Company in 1992 when he took part in the Company’s premiere of Synergy with Synergy. He has taken on leading roles in numerous dances, including Kid Lefty in Louis Falco’s Black and Blue, the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and principal roles in Graeme Murphy’s works—Ellipse, Air and Other Invisible Forces, Berlin, Free Radicals, The Protecting Veil, and Body of Work. With the Sydney Dance Company, Mr. Wang has performed in Europe, North America, Mexico, Singapore, Japan, and Taiwan.

Jiansheng Yang, Alto

Jiansheng Yang is a graduate of China’s prestigious Central Conservatory of Music and was a member of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China. In 1988 she won the Silver Screen award in China’s National Youth Singing Competition, and in 1994 she left China to study further at the Hamburg Academy of Music and Theatre. Ms. Yang currently resides in Germany, where she is engaged in an active performance career.

Tia Zhang, Choreographer

A veteran dancer and choreographer, Tia Zhang has taught at the National Ballet School in Toronto, Canada, and is the founder and Artistic Director of the Lotus Performing Arts Troupe. Formerly a member of the National Ballet of China, Zhang is known for her expertise that covers a wide range of Chinese dance traditions, including folk and court styles. She has choreographed many works that offer keen insight into the lives of people across different historical periods. A practitioner of Falun Gong who is thereby inspired to be a committed volunteer in her community, Zhang received a “National Outstanding Achievement Award” in 2002 from the Toronto municipal government.

Choreographer Creates Dances with a Message

The Lotus Arts Troupe Performing at the 2006 Show in Los Angeles

Once again, performances choreographed by Tia Zhang will entertain and thrill audiences at NTDTV’s Chinese New Year Spectacular. Last year, Ms. Zhang’s stories — danced by the Lotus Arts Troupe of Canada — amazed and delighted the audiences. “When the Lion’s Eyes Turn Red,” a well-known story in China, showed how bad deeds are punished and good deeds create a wonderful future.  Ms. Zhang said her inspiration for the dance came from the shocking news of the December 2004 tsunami that devastated Indonesia and Bali.

Ms. Zhang said she starts to choreograph a dance by conducting research and sometimes watching films. She has an idea and then develops the characters she wants to portray in the dance. She creates movements that communicate a message and give the character a definite personality. In the “Red Lion” dance, it was very important to portray an elderly lady as compassionate through her movements on stage. The goddess in the dance was portrayed as filled with light, warmth and purity.

Tia Zhang taught ballet at the National Ballet School of Toronto for over 25 years before joining NTDTV’s annual Chinese New Year show.  This year’s offerings are guaranteed to delight viewers even more. Tia Zhang said: “My intention is to deliver a meaningful message through my entertainment.” Audiences can anticipate totally wonderful performances from talented choreographer Tia Zhang.

Tian Yin Orchestra in the Spotlight...                                                  

Drummers at the 2006 show

The NTDTV 2007 Chinese New Year Spectacular is pleased to have the Tian Yin Orchestra supporting its performances. Tian Yin, which means “heavenly music,” truly flows from the instruments of our talented and diverse musicians. Meet one of them now...

Percussionist Brian Marple has his hands full with a full range of percussion instruments in the orchestra. With his first drum set at the age of 10, Brian began playing in bands and orchestras. Brian was asked about the percussion instruments he uses. The orchestra's two tympanies each has a note and is played together or separately. Brian told us that the large drums were originally war drums and, when played, “mean business.”

Brian said the orchestral pieces also require other percussion instruments. Orchestra bells have a metallic tonality that highlights important sections of the music. In contrast to a xylophone, which has a mellower, earthy tone, orchestra bells emit a clear and lustrous sound. He plays a snare drum to highlight triumphant, martial pieces. There are two types of cymbals in the orchestra, the suspended cymbal and hand cymbal pairs that are clapped together. Each has a purpose in the music.

Instruments of Chinese origin are used extensively in the Tian Yin Orchestra's repertoire. Some have wonderfully descriptive names. The wooden fish makes a clicking sound that is bright and playful, almost humorous, Brian said. The singing bowl is played by monks in temples. According to Brian, the singing bowl carries a sacred sound and is used during solemn points in the music.  he gong is also used in temples, but carries a more spirited, imperial feel, as if used only when the emperor's court arrives. Smaller cymbals and drums played during Chinese weddings are also part of the percussionist's repertoire of instruments.

According to Brian, there are differences between Western and Asian music. “Chinese music tends to be more free form. The progressions, rhythms and musical flow are not as set as in Western music.”

He said playing in the Tian Yin Orchestra has been very rewarding. “The arrangements are unique and this is an opportunity to merge the musical traditions of China with the West.”