China Institute Calligraphy, Music & Mandarin Meetup (April)

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. 

Kehan has been playing the guqin for 15 years under the tutelage of Professor Zhao Jiazhen of the Central Conservatory of Music. And is currently a senior at the Bard Conservatory of Music’s U.S.-China Music Institute and college of Theatre Performance Program.

Jinou Dong (Anastasia) is a second year graduate student in Bard Conservatory’s Master of Arts in Chinese Music and Culture, where she studies pipa with Professor Zhang Qiang of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Recently, she performed the Little Sisters of the Grassland pipa concerto as a soloist in the 2025 “The Sound of Spring” Chinese New Year concert with The Orchestra Now (TŌN). Dong holds a BA and a BM from Bard.

Kendall Griffith is a third-year student at Bard College’s US-China Music Institute. Her musical journey began six years ago when she joined the Boston Chinese Musicians Association ensemble. Under the guidance of Ruo-mao Zhen (Kevin Zhen), a renowned pipa musician in the Boston area, Kendall quickly excelled, refining her technique and artistry. In February 2021, she was selected to perform in an internationally broadcasted New Year gala by Youku Music in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Her talent and dedication earned her multiple interview opportunities, including features by Newton Chinese School and Boston Chinatown’s Pao Arts Center, where her story served as an inspiration to her peers and the broader community. She was also invited to collaborate with Cornell University’s Chinese Eastern Music Ensemble. Looking ahead, Kendall aspires to reach new artistic heights, collaborating with musicians from around the world to further expand her musical horizons.