China Institute Calligraphy, Music & Mandarin Meetup (March)

Mr. He began studying calligraphy and brush painting very early on under the guidance of masters Wei Li and Jin Xing Jian. After relocating to the United States, he continued his studies with renowned masters of calligraphy and brush painting, including Yiu Yi Cheng, Yuan Li, and Yun Nam Zhu. He later received mentorship from Shek Yi Cheng, Rui Kang Chen, and San Shing Cheng. 

In honor of his late teachers Yiu Yi Cheng and Yuan Li, and their dedication to Chinese painting, Mr. He devoted over 18 years to teaching in New York City. He remains actively engaged in promoting Chinese culture and has exhibited his work alongside other artists on numerous occasions. He is currently a member of the Association of Chinese Calligraphy in America. 

Danni Chen, graduated from Kedron State High School in Brisbane, Australia, and is currently a senior majoring in Guqin and Photography at Bard College Conservatory of Music. She studies guqin with Professor Zhao Jiazhen, President of the Chinese Qin Association and PhD supervisor at China Central Conservatory of Music. In 2022, she was awarded two gold medals in the 3rd “Hong Qin Cup” Guqin Competition. In 2024, she won the bronze medal in the guqin professional youth group A of the 2nd “Guoyun Cup” Chinese instruments competition.

Qizhi An (Coco), a guqin player who studies at the Bard College Conservatory of Music in the US-China Music Institute, is doing a double-major BA/BM in guqin performance and psychology. She played guqin for 7 years. She studied with Dai Xiaolian, a guqin professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, for one year in high school. Through Bard’s cooperation with the Central Conservatory of Music, she studied guqin under the guidance of Professor Zhao Jiazhen of the Central Conservatory of Music. At the Bard Conservatory, Qizhi An has been especially motivated to improve thanks to the supportive faculty, strong community of students, and intense academic programs. She held a midway concert in her third year of college. She also held a Bard US-China Music Institute Summer Trip Concert in Beijing Central Conservatory of Music on 6.23.2023.

Yijie Yin, from Qingdao, China, began studying the Liuqin and other instruments at the age of seven before focusing on the Zhongruan. She has been studying Zhongruan under Professor Xu Yang at the Central Conservatory of Music. Currently, she is in her fifth year of the double-degree program at Bard College, pursuing a B.A. in Art History and an M.A. in Music Performance at the US-China Music Institute of the Bard Conservatory. As a dedicated Ruan player, Yijie has had the opportunity to perform at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in the U.S. She has also participated in performances in China under the direction of composer and conductor Tan Dun. Passionate about sharing Chinese music, she hopes to connect Eastern and Western audiences through her performances.