Pi-Lin Ni, conductor
Described by New York Concert Review’s Darrell Rosenbluth as “a fluid and expressive and colorful pianist,” Pi-Lin Ni’s performances have been heard in New York’s Carnegie Hall and numerous prestigious venues across Asia and the United States. Several of her world premiere performances were broadcasted on the Chinese Broadcasting Corporation Radio, including those for the Chinese Association of Modern Music in Taipei. Ms. Ni received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the National Institute of the Arts in Taipei, Master of Music from the New England Conservatory in Boston, and Doctor of Music from Florida State University. She also holds a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy from FSU, and is a member of the music honorary Pi Kappa Lambda. Currently, Ms. Ni works as a collaborative pianist at the Eastman School of Music. She is also music director of the Chinese Chorus Society of Rochester. Ms. Ni resides with her husband, saxophonist Chien-Kwan Lin, in Rochester, NY.

Nico Yang, pianist
A native of Taiwan. Nico started to learn piano at age 5 and won several competitions.  She studied at Stela Manutina girl’s high school in the class of Yi-Ru Lai and at Hsinchu senior high school with Bai-Hui, Kuo. She double majored in piano and percussion and joined the percussion ensemble to perform in Taiwan. She won the first prize in Hsinchu piano competition and was also awarded the first prize in Taiwan piano competition in 1999.
In the same year, she was also awarded the first prize of Marimba Concerto and had performed with Hsinchu Senior High School Orchestra.  She got full scholarship in Tunghai University and studied with Dr. Thomas Linde. During her college, she was awarded the first prize on Beethoven Piano Concerto no.1.  Besides, she was the principle of percussion in Tunghai University Orchestra and had performed with the Orchestra at Lincoln Center in USA in 2006. At present she is a master student at Eastman School of Music with Professor Thomas Schumacher and also an accompanist in Chinese Choral Society of Rochester.

Fang Zhang , pianist

A native of Shenyang, China, Fang Zhang began his early piano study with Professor Lu Pan. At the age of seven he was awarded First Prize in the junior division of the Northeastern Provinces Xing Fu Piano Competition. He continued study at Shenyang Conservatory of Music in the class of Yafen Zhu and later with Professor Fang Zhang (no relation). In 1997 he entered the Piano Department of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where his principal teacher was Professor Guo Zhihong. During his student years, he was appointed official accompanist in the 2000 International French Horn Festival, and was also awarded a Teaching Assistantship in the Conducting Department. He consistently received the highest grades in piano at Beijing Conservatory and received his Bachelor of Music degree in 2001. Mr. Zhang has performed solo recitals in Beijing at Beijing Concert Hall, Poly Plaza Concert Hall, Yi Fu Center and the Hall of Central Conservatory of Music. In 2001, Fang Zhang began his faculty appointment in the Music Department of School of Arts, People University of China, where received a Youth Faculty Award in 2003. The following year he entered the graduate piano program at Eastman School of Music as a student of Thomas Schumacher, and in May 2006 he received both the MM degree and the Eastman Performer's Certificate, awarded for distinguished achievement in performance. Appointed teaching assistant to Thomas Schumacher, he was also awarded the Avis D. Vaughn Scholarship at Eastman. In fall of 2006 Mr. Zhang entered the DMA degree program at Eastman as the Liberace Scholarship and Vaughn Scholarship recipient. Fang Zhang was awarded the Rachmaninoff Society Special Prize at the 2006 Viardo International Piano Competition and appeared as recitalist at the Eastman 2006 Piano Festival and Competition. He is also selected as one of the few contestants for the International Russian Piano Competition In June, 2007, San Jose, California.

Chien-Kwan Lin, Saxphonist
Chien-Kwan Lin is an Assistant Professor of Saxophone at the Eastman School of Music. He also maintains a studio for young pupils through Eastman’s Community Music School. Mr. Lin has enjoyed a separate career as a violinist, winning top prizes in Singapore’s National Music Competition four consecutive times. In addition to performing for several years in a violin/guitar jazz duo, he has appeared as orchestral violinist with northeastern groups including the New Hampshire Symphony, Indian Hill Symphony, and the Hanover (NH) Chamber Orchestras. More information is available at www.chienkwan.com.

Thomas Paul, Basso
The celebrated basso Thomas Paul has been widely acknowledged as one of the most vocally resplendent and musically versatile singers of his generation. Since his Carnegie Hall debut in 1961, he has distinguished himself with enduring success in an enormous concert and operatic repertoire. For more than four decades, he has been a frequent guest soloist with the Boston symphony, the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and every other major symphony orchestra in North America. In opera, Mr. Paul has performed many demanding basso roles, with the New York City, Opera, San Francisco Opera, among others. Festival affiliations include Aspen, Tanglewood, Mostly Mozart, Meadowbrook, Blossom, Caramoor, Carmel, Grant Park, Hollywood Bowl, Kennedy Center, Wolf Trap, and Lincoln Center's "Great Performers Series". International engagements have included operatic and concert performances in Stuttgart, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Zurich, Kiev, Helsinki, Shenyang, and Beijing. His many recordings display a rare versatility with works by Bach, Beach, Beethoven, Berlioz, Carter, Handel, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Rands, Schoenberg, and Varese. During the nineties, he traveled to the People's Republic of China for radio concerts, recitals, and master classes. In 2000, he collaborated with artist teachers in Europe to establish the Prague International Vocal Master Classes. Mr. Paul was Professor of Voice at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York from 1971-1998 and a faculty artist at the aspen Music Festival in Colorado from 1971-1990. He now devotes full attention to singing, private teaching, guest master classes, and solo recording projects.

Ai-Ze Wang, Soprano
Ms. Ai-Ze Wang is a native of Beijing, China. With a full scholarship, she received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Coe College in Iowa. Thereafter, she completed advanced degrees at Kansas State University (voice) and Temple University (opera). In 1995, she returned to Coe College, taught voice there and performed with the Coe Baroque Ensemble. In the summer of 1997 she studied and performed in Italy. She has sung with the Central Opera House of China in Beijing and performed leading roles with the Opera Theatre of Rochester. In February 2002, she recorded a CD, which was released in China in May 2002.

Kevin Yin Shi, Pianist
"Most gifted...highly intelligent...performs with great passion", internationally known pianist Yin Shi has been a prize winner of many competitions, including the Penson Young International Artist Award, the Fort Wayne Young Artist Competition, and the Irene Tintner International Competition. He has appeared in concerts both as a soloist and a chamber musician throughout the United States as well as in China, Japan, Brazil, and Germany. A native of China, Mr. Shi started piano at an early age, and made his first concert debut at the age of seven. Two years later, through highly competitive auditions, he was admitted into the most prestigious Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he graduated with honors. In 1990, he was a featured soloist at the opening concert celebrating his alma mater's 40th anniversary. Mr. Shi also holds degrees from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Besides being an IT professional in Rochester, NY, Kevin Shi is also currently a resident artist in the Proclaim Evangelistic Music Ministry.