, violin
www.yqviolin.com

Quan Yuan has shown himself to be an accomplished and versatile soloist. He is the winner of China International Young Artist Competition in 2006, winner of the 2006 Delaware Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, winner of the 2000 Denmark International Young Artist Competition, second prize winner of the 2001 China Classical Sonata Competition and the 2001 Central Conservatory of Music Violin Competition.

Mr. Yuan has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across the United States, Europe, and Asia. These venues includes: Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, Beijing Concert Hall, Merkin Hall, Harvard Sanders Theater, Town Hall of New York City, Calgary Leacock Hall, Field Concert Hall in Philadelphia, Chinese People’s Liberation Army Concert Hall, Beijing Century Theater, Concert Hall of the National Library of China and Xinzhuang Culture and Arts Center of Taipei. He has played concertos with the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra, Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra, China Youth Chamber Orchestra, Taipei Youth Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Pro Musica, Video Game Orchestra, New England Conservatory Philharmonic Orchestra, NEC Wind Ensemble, NEC Bach Ensemble, and NEC Percussion Ensemble. As a chamber musician, his coaches have included members of the Borromeo, Guarneri, Emerson, Tokyo,Takacs, and Juilliard String Quartets. Mr. Yuan has given master classes in Taipei and Beijing in 2006 and he has been a judge of the “Golden Beijing” Violin Competition since 2012. He was on the faculty at Focal Chinese Music between 2012-2015 in Boston. He currently is on the faculty of GIPAC Academy of U.S. and Asia Division.

Since 2012, Mr. Yuan has been a member of the prestigious Beijing Musician Association and he has over 80 commercially successful recordings including: Passion and Capriccio I-VIII: Solo Violin,Chamber Music Concert, Violin Masterpiece Explanations, Sample for Beginners and Intermediates, and Paganini 24 Caprices for Solo Violin: Wei Zhao and Students Concert, etc. His achievements have been reported on by major media including: Little Performer, The Boston Musical Intelligencer, ConcertoNet.com, Music Weekly, Beijing Evening Newspaper, Global Chinese Times, Chinese News Weekly Guangming Daily, Bostonese.com, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Born in Beijing, China, in 1984, Mr. Yuan began his violin studies at age 4 with Muyun Yang. At age 13, he studied with Wei Zhao in the Central Conservatory of Music. After graduating with special distinction, he came to the United States to become a student of Joseph Silverstein. He has graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music and continued his studies with Donald Weilerstein at New England Conservatory of Music from 2008-2015. During that period, he received his Bachalor’s degree, Master’s degree and Graduate Diploma from New England Conservatory with academic honors, and one year teaching assistant of Donald Weilerstein's Studio at New England Conservatory. He currently is the second violin at The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Wanzhe Zhang 張婉哲, soprano

Soprano Wanzhe Zhang is acknowledged as one of today’s most evocative Chinese artists in the United States, Europe, and China. Her performing arts background includes five years of vocal studies under world-renowned tenor Haitao Hei at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Voice and Opera Performance. Ms. Zhang furthered her studies with American Soprano Karen Holvik at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she earned her Master of Arts degree as well as a Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance.

As an opera singer, Wanzhe has been working closely with principles of National Theater of Serbia in Belgrade for Director Aleksandar Nikolić and Aleksandar Ilić's outstanding production "Don Giovanni" since 2018. As a classical singer, Wanzhe remains an active performer in concerts and recitals globally. She is on the “x+YZ Life-long Friendship” World Concert Tour with her husband Quan Yuan, the violinist of The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, in Serbia, Greece, Montenegro, United Kingdom and China. Currently a member of Tanglewood Festival Chorus, she regularly performs with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops. Her voice has been heard in hallmark venues across the globe, including Carnegie Hall in New York; Jordan Hall, John Hancock Hall and Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston; Sala Luis Galve in Spain; Harpa Concert Hall in Iceland, Kolarac Hall and Belgrade Philharmonic Hall in Serbia, Beijing Concert Hall, National Centre for the Performing Arts, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and Xinghai Concert Hall in China.

Wanzhe Zhang is the President of Boston Chinese Musicians Association. She has served as Secretary-General of Boston Chinese Musicians Association between 2012 and 2018. She has both performed as resident artist and served on the board of BCMA. In April 2016, she served as vocal coach for the BCMA chorus and performed as a soloist in “The Sounds of China: Music from the Dream of Red Chamber.” Ms. Zhang has world-premiere the traditional Chinese Symphonic Opera “ Ms. Liu San Jie” in the United States in 2018.

As Secretary-General of National Classical Music Performing Arts Associates, Ms. Zhang managed the Hawaii International Piano Festival and Hawaii International Summer Vocal Academy in Honolulu. She also led the 2015 Annual Classical Singer International Vocal Competition and Masterclass Series of China and U.S. Cultural Exchange and hosted the “International Vocal Performance Forum” in Beijing. In February 2016, she coordinated the MRL International Music Festival in New York Kaufman Music Center. Ms. Zhang has also been invited to serve as executive director of the 2016 Cleveland International Music Festival in August. Since 2017, Ms. Zhang has co-founded Global Intercultural Performing Arts Cast which brings together a global network of highly accomplished performing arts trainers and institutional partners to create an international platform for high-achieving artists at hallmark performance venues around the world.

For the past fourteen years, Ms. Zhang has worked as a freelance voice teacher and vocal coach for numerous musical establishments. In addition, she continues to coach singers of all levels to develop their vocal confidence and artistry. Ms. Zhang has prepared many students for the Walnut Hill School for the Arts, New England Conservatory of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Mannes School of Music, Longy School of Music of Bard College, and Boyer College of Music at Temple University. She served as Music Director and Head Teacher at Focal Chinese Music from 2011 to 2015. She is currently the President of GIPAC Academy - US Division. Ms. Zhang is also on the voice faculty of Dana Hall School of Music in Wellesley, United States.

B.A., in Vocal and Opera Performance, Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China; M.M., G.D., in Vocal Performance, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA; President, Boston Chinese Musicians Association. President, GIPAC Academy - US Division; Co-Founder of Global Intercultural Performing Arts Cast; Co-Artistic Director of Universal Artists Festival

Jia Shi 施珈, piano

Jia Shi, pianist, embarked on a teaching career in the Boston region, was born into a musical family in Guangzhou. She was strongly influenced by her grandfather, Mingxin Shi, a renowned conductor there. Her talent was evident at an early age, and she received much of her beginning piano instruction from her grandfather. Ms. Shi’s many competition awards include the Sendai Piano Competition in Japan, the Kaiserburg Competition in China, the Horowitz Piano competition in Kiev, Ukraine, and in 2005 the National Haiziman Piano Competition in China, where she won First Prize and recognition for Best Performance. Her musical education includes several scholarships for undergraduate and graduate studies, four years of study for Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing under world renowned professor Zhihong Guo. Ms. Shi furthered her study with international soloist Alexander Korsantia at the New England Conservatory, where she earned a second Master’s Degree in Piano Performance.

Ms. Shi teaches at several Boston schools and at the New England Conservatory as well, as teaching assistant to Mr. Korsantia, her students are undergraduates and non-piano majors. She recently performed publicly with him at one of a concert series on Cape Cod featuring New England Conservatory performers. Ms. Shi has performed across the United States and in both China and Europe, featuring in such venues as Jordan Hall, Tanglewood Music Theater in Massachusetts; Steinway Hall in New York; Basilica di San Pietro, Sala Dei Notari in Perugia; the Colegiata de San
Juan Bautista, Centro Municipal Integrado de Pumarín Gijón Sur in Spain; Beijing Concert Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in China.

In addition to her performing career, Ms. Shi is coaching for pianists of all ages and stages. Many have gone on to music conservatories. Ms. Shi participates in production of the Boston Modern Orchestra’s concerts as well as various competitions, here and in China. Ms. Shi is the Executive Director of New England Young Artist Cultural Exchange Association, and successfully organize international piano programs with Boston University in Tanglewood since 2016; She serves as the Chairperson of Hamlet
Davidson Piano Competition; Currently, Ms. Shi has joined the Board of the New England Piano Teachers’ Association; and the director of Global Outstanding Chinese Artist Association. Ms. Shi has also been invited to serve as the Artist Faculty at San Francisco Conservatory Music’s Piano Festival; Piano Faculty at both Dana Hall School of Music and Concord Conservatory.

Sue-Ellen Tcherepnin, flute

Sue-Ellen Hershman-Tcherepnin first appeared with the Boston Symphony Orchestra as flute soloist at the age of 16, and has subsequently performed throughout Europe, Latin America, South America, Russia, and the US as both soloist and recitalist. With pianist David Witten, she frequently performs as a member of Dúo Clásico. Since 1986 the Duo has represented the US on State Department-sponsored foreign tours.

Hershman-Tcherepnin is both founding member and flutist of Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston. Other local activities have included performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, Boston Lyric Opera Company, New England Ragtime Ensemble, Portland (Maine) and Springfield (Mass.) Symphonies, and Broadway productions in the musical theaters of Boston.

Deeply committed to new music, Sue-Ellen performs regularly with numerous contemporary music ensembles. She has given many world premieres, including flute concertos by Tom Flaherty and William Eldridge, the latter of which was written in memory of her late husband, composer Ivan Tcherepnin. She has been flutist with Dinosaur Annex Contemporary Music Ensemble since 1985, and was appointed Artistic Director in 2002.

Sue-Ellen was raised in Norwood, Massachusetts (USA), received her Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University and Master of Music degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Her principal teachers were Phillip Kaplan, Jean-Pierre Rampal and Samuel Baron.

Ms. Hershman-Tcherepnin has been a visiting artist at many universities and conservatories, including the Shanghai Conservatory (China), the Mozarteum (Austria), and the Porto Allegre Conservatory (Brazil). Closer to home, Sue-Ellen has taught at South Shore Conservatory (Hingham, MA), New School of Music (Cambridge, MA), New England Conservatory (preparatory division) and Tufts University. She has served as the principal flute instructor at MIT since 1991, where she is also founding director of MIT’s Flute Ensemble, The Institooters. From 1995-1999 Hershman-Tcherepnin also served as President of the 1800-member American Federation of Musicians Local 9-535-Boston.

Vladimir Andrić, baritone

Born in Valjevo, Serbia, Vladimir Andric graduated from the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad, as a student of Professor Biserka Cvejic. His first operatic performance was in the role of Montano in Verdi’s Otello, which he learned and performed in just one day in 1994. Since 1996, he has been a resident member of the National Theatre in Belgrade, where he currently serves as principal baritone.

His major roles include Don Giovanni, Figaro (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), The Count (Le Nozze di Figaro), Enrico Ashton (Lucia di Lammermoor), Rodrigo (Don Carlo), Germont (La Traviata), Belcore (L’Elisir d’Amore), Papageno (The Magic Flute), Eugene Onegin, Valentin (Faust), Escamillo (Carmen), Sharpless (Madama Butterfly), Marcello (La Bohème), and Dandini (La Cenerentola). Andric also sang the European premiere of Robert Ward's opera, The Crucible, as well as two first performances of Serbian works, Mandragola by Ivan Jevtic, and Mileva by Aleksandra Vrebalov, in which the role of Albert Einstein was written for him. He has appeared as guest artist in opera houses of Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Lithuania, St. Petersburg, Italy, Portugal, Croatia and Russia.

Andric has been highly praised for his role as Inspector Javert in the musical Les Misérables at Madlenianum Opera (Serbia). His repertoire also includes works by Schubert, Schumann, Loewe, Strauss, Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky, as well as oratorios and cantatas by Bach, Fauré, Brahms and Orff. He also performed as a soloist in Hong Kong, Taipei, Mexico City, Venice and Athens with two prominent Serbian choirs, Collegium Musicum and Obilic.

Mr. Andric won first prize at the International Jeunesses Musicales Competition in Belgrade, and third prize at the George Enescu International Festival in Bucharest. He received the Davidoff Award for his role as Dandini in Rossini’s La Cenerentola, and Commendation of the National Theatre in Belgrade for the same production.