The Boston Chinese Musicians Association: Youth Orchestra (BCMA Youth Orchestra), a non-profit performance arts organization, was founded in January 2019. It is an extension of the Boston Chinese Musicians Association (BCMA), (link http://bcma.us/index.html ). Both groups are dedicated to promoting the long lost sounds of traditional Chinese instruments and vocals.
We are composed of 10 to 18 year old middle and high school students with musical training. Our orchestra is made up of both Chinese and Western musical instruments, consisting of:
We mainly focus on traditional folk music, with edited scores from professional Chinese musicians and composers. The orchestra aims to improve the performance level of young musicians, encourage Chinese American teens to get in touch with their culture, introduce traditional Chinese folk music to the public, and bring artistic enjoyment to all of the different communities in the Greater Boston area.
Directors
Guo, Tiansheng
Conductor
Tiansheng Guo is the current conductor of the Youth Orchestra. He is a senior member of the Chinese Musicians Association and a Chinese National Class One Conductor. Besides conducting for BCMA, he also works as the music director and principal conductor for the National Orchestra of Hebei Province Opera in China.
He is also an executive director of the China National Orchestra Society, an executive director of the Conductor Committee, a guest professor of the China Conservatory Middle School in Beijing, and a guest conductor of Taizhong Youth National Orchestra of Taiwan. Mr. Guo graduated from Tianjin Conservatory of Music and has studied with other notable figures such as Professor Sha Jin, Jinshan Lu and Jinhao Yang.
Lin, Zhantao
Director
A devoted member of the Chinese Musicians Association, Zhantao Lin is a professional musician and teacher. Besides playing for BCMA, Mr. Lin is the founder of the Boston Erhu Ensemble, a professor at the Guangxi Arts Institute, and a board member of the Chinese Professional Erhu Players' Guild in China.
If his name sounds familiar, you have most likely heard him play before, as Mr. Lin has performed in almost every notable institution in the New England area. This includes prestigious universities such as Harvard and MIT, and a handful of museums, including the Peabody Essex Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Children's Museum, and the Lincoln Center of New York. He is also well known for accompanying celebrity cellist Yo Yo Ma in his Silk Road Project exchange program.
Huang, Shaojian
Vice Director
Shaojian Huang is an award-winning yangqing soloist from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China. Since arriving in U.S, she has served as a principal player of the Chinese Music Ensemble of California. Besides showcasing her talents in Boston, Mrs. Huang has performed all over the nation, including in San Francisco, Chicago, Lansing, New York City, and Atlantic City. She is the co-founder and executive director of the Silk Bamboo Music School, and wife to Mr. Cheung.
Cheung, Ching San
Teacher
Cheung Ching San is known for his wide variety of instruments. He plays over 15 different instruments, some of which include the flute, xiao, hulusi, bawu, xun, liuqin, ruan and accordion.
Like Mrs. Huang, he is an alumnus of the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China. There, he was the winner of many competitions and consequently served as the resident composer of the Guangdong Foshan Music Troupe. In addition to the BCMA, he has taught music at the Lexington Chinese School and the Greater Boston Chinese Culture Association. He is the founder of the Boston Chinese Chamber Music Ensemble, and he and his wife, Mrs. Huang, founded Silk Bamboo Music School together. Today, he is famous in the Boston area for giving private lessons to a number of prodigious students.
Yi Ding
Teacher
Yi Ding is a Guzheng teacher and member of Boston Chinese Musicians Association. She holds an Advanced Teacher Certification from Central Conservatory of Music and has been recognized as an Excellent Instructor of Central Conservatory in Music Chinese Instrument Grade Examination from 2019 to 2023. In 2018, she was invited to be a judge in Grade Examination Star Guzheng Music Competition. Yi Ding teaches students ranging from 4 to 60 years old at Chinese School Andover and has helped many of her students win awards in international music competitions and professional Guzheng performing competitions in China. In 2021, she established Yi Zhiyin Guzheng Ensemble with the aim of bringing a variety of culture and traditional music to the local community. The ensemble has been invited to perform at many community activities and festival celebrations. In 2022, Yi Zhiyin Guzheng Ensemble won first place in the instrument competition at HuaYue Cup International competition.
Guo, Tiansheng
Conductor
Tiansheng Guo is the current conductor of the Youth Orchestra. He is a senior member of the Chinese Musicians Association and a Chinese National Class One Conductor. Besides conducting for BCMA, he also works as the music director and principal conductor for the National Orchestra of Hebei Province Opera in China.
He is also an executive director of the China National Orchestra Society, an executive director of the Conductor Committee, a guest professor of the China Conservatory Middle School in Beijing, and a guest conductor of Taizhong Youth National Orchestra of Taiwan. Mr. Guo graduated from Tianjin Conservatory of Music and has studied with other notable figures such as Professor Sha Jin, Jinshan Lu and Jinhao Yang.
Lin, Zhantao
Director
A devoted member of the Chinese Musicians Association, Zhantao Lin is a professional musician and teacher. Besides playing for BCMA, Mr. Lin is the founder of the Boston Erhu Ensemble, a professor at the Guangxi Arts Institute, and a board member of the Chinese Professional Erhu Players' Guild in China.
If his name sounds familiar, you have most likely heard him play before, as Mr. Lin has performed in almost every notable institution in the New England area. This includes prestigious universities such as Harvard and MIT, and a handful of museums, including the Peabody Essex Museum, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Children's Museum, and the Lincoln Center of New York. He is also well known for accompanying celebrity cellist Yo Yo Ma in his Silk Road Project exchange program.
Huang, Shaojian
Vice Director
Shaojian Huang is an award-winning yangqing soloist from the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China. Since arriving in U.S, she has served as a principal player of the Chinese Music Ensemble of California. Besides showcasing her talents in Boston, Mrs. Huang has performed all over the nation, including in San Francisco, Chicago, Lansing, New York City, and Atlantic City. She is the co-founder and executive director of the Silk Bamboo Music School, and wife to Mr. Cheung.
Cheung, Ching San
Teacher
Cheung Ching San is known for his wide variety of instruments. He plays over 15 different instruments, some of which include the flute, xiao, hulusi, bawu, xun, liuqin, ruan and accordion.
Like Mrs. Huang, he is an alumnus of the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China. There, he was the winner of many competitions and consequently served as the resident composer of the Guangdong Foshan Music Troupe. In addition to the BCMA, he has taught music at the Lexington Chinese School and the Greater Boston Chinese Culture Association. He is the founder of the Boston Chinese Chamber Music Ensemble, and he and his wife, Mrs. Huang, founded Silk Bamboo Music School together. Today, he is famous in the Boston area for giving private lessons to a number of prodigious students.
Yi Ding
Teacher
Yi Ding is a Guzheng teacher and member of Boston Chinese Musicians Association. She holds an Advanced Teacher Certification from Central Conservatory of Music and has been recognized as an Excellent Instructor of Central Conservatory in Music Chinese Instrument Grade Examination from 2019 to 2023. In 2018, she was invited to be a judge in Grade Examination Star Guzheng Music Competition. Yi Ding teaches students ranging from 4 to 60 years old at Chinese School Andover and has helped many of her students win awards in international music competitions and professional Guzheng performing competitions in China. In 2021, she established Yi Zhiyin Guzheng Ensemble with the aim of bringing a variety of culture and traditional music to the local community. The ensemble has been invited to perform at many community activities and festival celebrations. In 2022, Yi Zhiyin Guzheng Ensemble won first place in the instrument competition at HuaYue Cup International competition.