Photography by Jim Hair

Pipa Soloist
Member of Chinese Musicians’ Association

Born into a musical family, Li has been passionately in love with Chinese folk music from a young age. She began taking Pipa lessons when she was nine years old. Over the years she had studied with numerous Chinese Masters, including Prof. Lin Shi-Cheng of the Chinese Music Academy, the ever-famous Pipa Performer Zhang Huan Mau of the Hei-Long Jiang Orchestra, Prof. Liu Zen-Yi of the Hu Nan Musical Academy, Pipa Master Fong Jin-Long of the Xing-Hai Musical Academy and Hai Nan University. In her performances, Li was always capable of combing the special skills she learned from every master and expanding the respective beauties to create her own characteristic art.

At 17, she was already the Principal Pipa Musician in the Hen-Yan Orchestra, Hu Nan. Her busy schedule was filled with concert performances, appearances in radio and TV programs, and recording contracts with radio stations and TV studios. She had also appeared in numerous national contests and won many prizes.

In 1982, Li won the Silver Award as the solo performer in National Folk Music Instrument Contest. In 1993, Li won the Outstanding Musician Award in the Hu Nan Professional Innovation Contest Award. In 1980, she won the Special Award in Hun Yuan Special Group Contest. In the same year, her performance of “Liu-Yang River” won the Hu Nan TV Artist First Prize. In 1988, she won the First Prize, Outstanding Musician, in the “Tong-Le Cup” Folk Music Contest.

In I990, she was recruited as the solo performer in the China-the Beautiful Country Art Company. The Company had traveled to Hong Kong, Singapore and USA. Her Pipa solo programs had attracted major attentions from both music lovers and media.

In 1991, she was awarded the First Prize in the “Pear and Peach Cup” Competition, sponsored by the City of Chinese Overseas, Sheng-Zhen.

In 1992, Li represented China in the International Folk Art Festival, Salt Lake City, Utah. She performed her master pieces: In Siege, Spring Waters in the Flowery Night and True Dance (Dance Tune from the Yi People). She was later invited to perform in a nationwide tour in all major cities throughout the United States.

In 1993, Li was recruited to China-the Beautiful Country, the amusement park in Florida, as Adjunct Solo Artist, regularly performing in the an and craft programs.