China Institute Calligraphy and Music Meetup (December)

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. 

Lucina Yue (Chinese name: 月亮), born in Xinjiang on the Silk Road and renowned in New York, is the first Guzheng master's graduate of the US-China Music Institute at Bard College Conservatory of Music. A direct inheritor of the Qin Guzheng tradition, she studied under Professor Zhou Wang and received guidance from Qin Guzheng pioneers Zhou Yanjia and Zhou Zhan. During her studies, she premiered Tan Dun’s Concerto for Guzheng and Strings, performed in the North American premiere of the opera Painted Skin, and played at the United Nations Headquarters. Her creative translation of William Butler Yeats’s Down by the Salley Gardens as a classical Chinese poem will be published in Bard College's 2024 poetry collection SUI GENERIS. Lucina is also an accomplished calligrapher, with works selected for prestigious exhibitions such as the ASSCE Calligraphy Exhibition and the Chinese Character Art Exhibition at the University of Pennsylvania.

Originally a celebrated Konghou (Chinese harp) performer, Lucina was the first to introduce the instrument to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Madison Square Garden. She has received major accolades, including a New York City Artist Corps Grant and first place in the CCTV Instrumental Music Competition. Her album Earth features recordings by award-winning engineers and was selected for the 2021 SEAMUS/EAM Album. She has premiered numerous works, including Fang Dongqing’s Ice and Fire concerto with the Shanghai Philharmonic, and frequently appears on programs such as CCTV’s Gorgeous Chinese Music. Lucina continues to blend tradition and innovation, bringing Chinese music to global audiences.