Performers

Wei Sun 孙薇
Guzheng | 古筝

Young Guzheng Artist. Born into a family of artists, She is a national certified senior teacher of Guzheng, a member of the Chinese National Instrumental Association and a member of the International Guzheng Association. In addition to her rich performance background, her formal education has been through the Department of music, Communication University of China, the University of China Guzheng College for Master .Wei’s employment of the seven-tone Guzheng offers groundbreaking possibilities to play in western sound worlds, breaking the usual pentatonic limitations of traditional Chinese instruments. Since her arrival in New York in 2016, she has been invited to perform at the Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, United Nations, Pace University, Columbia University, Merkin Concert Hall, Flushing Townhall, Queens College Art Center, to name a few.

Hina Zhang 張日妮
Erhu, Composer | 二胡 ,作曲家

Born and grew up in Japan, Hina stared her professional erhu training since the age of 4. Throughout the years, Hina traveled back to China to receive professional erhu education from the Central Conservatory of Music Prep School and under the guidance of Fei Song.
Hina participated in many formal concerts and TV appearances since a young age. Hina has many collaborations with symphonic orchestras and is known for playing violine music using her erhu. Additionally, Hina also performed in the 2021 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davo, the 2023 China-Japan 50th Anniversary of Normalization, the 2023 Bund Global Financial Summit, Shanghai.
Hina currently still serves as the Special Cultural Ambassador of Japan from 2017 till present.
Hina graduated Bachelor of Music degree major as classical voice from Manhattan school of music 2022 and currently is a Master student of NYU studying marketing and business administration related disciplines.

William Yuan 袁鵬程
Yangqin | 揚琴 | 打擊樂

William Peng is a graduate of Tianjin Conservatory of Music, majoring in Yangqin (Chinese Hammer Dulcimer). Mr. Peng is also the lead percussion principle of the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York. In addition to have performed in many well acclaimed concert venues, such as the Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, etc., Mr. Peng has been a highly respected Yang Qin and Percussion teacher in the New York and New Jersey areas in the past 20 years.

Xiao-Ran Eric Liu 劉笑然
Bandi, Qudi, Xiao 梆笛, 曲笛，簫

As a leader in the new generation of bamboo flute field, Eric Liu has studied under Mr. Xiao Hequan, a folk bamboo flute player, Mr. Wang Xi, a professor at Minzu University of China, Ms. Chen Yue, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the China Conservatory of Music, and a professor and doctoral student at the Central Conservatory of Music. His tutor is Mr. Yuan Feifan, and he has collaborated with famous orchestras such as the Asia Philharmonic Orchestra and the China National Song and Dance Ensemble for many times.
Since 2011, he has been active on the international stage and is committed to promoting Chinese national music overseas, mainly “bamboo flute” and “Xiao”. Eric is a member of the New York Chinese Traditional Orchestra. This program is sponsored by the New York Chinese Traditional Orchestra.

CMENY Conductor Julian Gau
指揮| 二胡 |木琴 |大提琴 |鋼琴

Julian Gau is the music director of the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York. Growing up in New Jersey, he participated in Celadon Youth, a Chinese youth orchestra, and joined CMENY as an erhu player and cellist. He studied music and mathematics at Brown University, and just a week ago, he graduated with a master’s degree in orchestral conducting at the Boston Conservatory. Julian serves as the founder and music director of the Boston-based Horizon Ensemble, an orchestra whose performances pair historical compositions with new works by young composers. Later this summer, he will serve as an assistant conductor at Opera Saratoga and as the New Music Conducting Fellow at the Composers Conference in New Hampshire.
Julian became the music director of CMENY in September 2022. He is deeply honored to work with the musicians of the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York and the Hsinchu Youth Chinese Orchestra. Thank you for your support!

Jivan Ramesh 林子云
Cello, Composer | 大提琴, 作曲家

Jivan Xander Ramesh 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. Jivan is also an accomplished cellist who has won numerous awards including the Tilles Scholar Award. He performs in numerous styles including classical and Jazz. He teaches cello and composition. Jivan is a graduate of Juilliard Pre-College and is continuing his education in music and biochemistry at SUNY Stony Brook.

Jeff Fairbanks: Suona, Bili, Composer

Jeff Fairbanks is a composer, bandleader and multi-instrumentalist. Formally trained in Western music and trombone, he later informally studied Korean and Chinese music, learning the piri, taepyeongso and suona. His composing awards include a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, Con Edison Composer Residency, Aaron Copland Award, BMI Charlie Parker Award, and numerous other awards and grants. Groups commissioning his work include Korea’s National Gugak Orchestra, BMI/NY Jazz Orchestra, West Point Jazz Knights, and the USAF Airmen of Note, among others. As a bandleader he has toured internationally with Street Beat Brass and recorded albums with this group and with his Asian-Jazz fusion big band Project Hansori, to international critical acclaim.

Linda Quach: Artist & Chinese Yo-yo Performer

Linda Quach is a Vietnamese-American Diabolo performing artist based in Queens, New York. Her multidisciplinary performances blend elegance and grace with theatrical acrobatics and technical skill. Drawing from her profound affection for dance and emotive storytelling from a young age, Linda aims to inspire the world with her distinct contemporary diabolo performance style, as well as redefine the boundaries of diabolo.

Linda was an awardee for Asian American Arts Alliance’s (A4) What Can We Do? Grant in 2023. Today, Linda is a freelancer who teaches diabolo classes and cultural workshops at many schools in Queens and Long Island. She has also performed with Bindlestiff Circus for their 2024 NYC Summer Streets alongside many circus acrobats, jugglers, and talents.

This project is supported by funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, Statewide Community Regrants Program (formerly the Decentralization program) with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and administered by Flushing Town Hall.