Chih-Huan Wu, Saxophone
Chamber music player,educator, and soloist Chih-Huan Wu is currently the Assistant Professor of Saxophone at Taipei Municipal University of Education, Fu-Jen Catholic University and National University of Tainan in Taiwan. He is also the Concert Master of the China Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra as well as a member of the Taipei Jazz Orchestra, Wings of Angel Wind Ensemble, Taipei Symphonic Band, Composition VII Saxophone Quartet, and Jazz Invention Saxophone Quartet.
Wu was the winner of saxophone concerto competition at Eastman School of Music in 2004 and also appeared as the principal saxophone with the Eastman Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall in 2005. In 2007, he had been selected as the Young Star Artist by National Concert Hall in Taiwan and also the best teaching assistant (TA Prize) at Eastman. In 2008, he participated i the recording project “Manhattan Music” with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Canadian Brass. In 2009, at the World Saxophone Congress in Bangkok, Wu premiered “Voice of Children” that is dedicated to him by composer Feng-Hsu Lee. Since 2010, he has appeared as a concert soloist with the Taiwan Air Force Band for three consecutive years. In 2012, Wu has appointed to be the endorser of Yamaha saxophones.
Before returning to Taiwan, Wu had been teaching saxophone at Cornell University from 2005 to 2008. His primary teachers include John Sampen, Marco Albonetti, and Ramon Ricker. Wu holds his B.M. in Sociology from National Taiwan University (1999), M.M. in music performance from Bowling Green State University (2004), and Performer’s Certificate (2005) and D.M.A from Eastman School of Music (2009).
Jeanne Yi-chuan Lin, Flute
Jeanne Yi-Chuan LIN completed her Master of Music degree in Flute performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music (Ohio, U.S.A.), where she studied with Martha Aarons of the Cleveland Orchestra. During 2000 to 2002 she followed flute professor Pierre Wavre at the Conservatoire de Lausanne in Switzerland to pursue her further study. A native of Taiwan, Jeanne has won a number of solo competitions including First Prize in the 1985 and 1987 Taipei City Teenage Wind Competition, and Second Prize in the 1985 Taiwan National Teenage Wind Competition. In 1996, Jeanne received the "National Taiwan Outstanding Young Musician" award and gave a series concerts throughout Taiwan. In 2002, Jeanne was selected as one of the finalist of the music competition « Jost » in Switzerland and performed the « Reinecke Flute Concerto » with the Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.
Jeanne has participated in master classes of Emmanuel Pahud, José-Daniel Castellon, Peter-Lukas Graf, Janos Balint, Michel Debost, Kathleen Chastain, Keith Underwood, Aurèle Nicolet, Jeffrey Khaner, Joshua Smith, and James Galway. Besides solo recitals, Jeanne has been invited as guest soloist with several prestigious orchestras and ensembles, including National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, National Taiwan Wind Symphony, Taipei Flute Ensemble, Beijing Central Youth Symphony Orchestra (China), Jen-Chuan City Symphony Orchestra (Korea), Strauss String Orchestra (U.S.A.), Chautauqua Baroque String Orchestra (U.S.A.), and Taipei Civic Symphony Orchestra. In 2002, Jeanne moved to Beijing, China and had been invited as a guest flutist with the China National Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, NCPA Orchestra,Wuhan Philharmonic and the China Film Philaharmonic. Jeanne has been on the flute faculty of the National Taipei Teachers' College, Shih-Chen University, and several prestigious music high schools in Taiwan. Jeanne had taught in Dulwich College of Beijing (2007-2010) and since 2010, Jeanne has been teaching at Western Academy of Beijing. Currently from 2010, Jeanne is the principle flute of the China Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra.
Michelle Yip, Piano
Michelle Yip, pianist, passionate advocate for cultural understanding in music carries an eclectic chamber and collaborative repertoire ranging from early to contemporary music. She has performed North America, Europe, South Africa, and Asia. Recipient of the 2005-06 Fulbright Award, Ms. Yip moved to Beijing in 2005, where she lives to explore, perform, research, and collaborate with leading contemporary Chinese and Western composers and musicians. Currently, Ms. Yip is the “Pianist in Residence” at the Western Academy of Music and is on piano faculty of the Great Wall International String Academy Music Festival in Beijing, which hosts world-renowned String Faculty including the American String Quartet. She received her Masters of Music (MM) in piano performance from University of Michigan and Doctoral of Musical Arts (DMA) from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music with a cognate in chamber music.
Performer specializing in contemporary chamber music, Ms. Yip co-founded the Beijing New Music Ensemble (BNME) in 2005. BNME has given over 40 concerts that featured contemporary chamber music combined with dance, calligraphy, and electronic media. These concerts highlighted collaborations with renowned Chinese Mingyue artists Li Congnong, Min Xiaofeng, Wu Na, and distinguished Chinese composers Chou Wen-Chung, Gao Weijie, Guo Wenjing, and Xu Zhou; Hong Kong composer Wendy Wan-Ki Lee; American composers Daron Aric Hagen, Eli Marshall, Eliott Sharp, Cynthia Folio; notable English opera composer Julian Grant, and Korean composer Cecilia Kim. She has been featured at the "Hell Hot!" Contemporary Music Festival hosted by the Hong Kong Contemporary Music Ensemble, 2007-2008 Macau International Music Festival, 2008 BBC Radio 3 live broadcast in Beijing of Chinese contemporary composers, Korean Woman Composer’s League Concert Series at the Seoul Arts Center, and on Wild Grass, a NAXOS CD, featuring the chamber music of Pulitzer Prize winner Zhou Long and Chen Yi.