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Sample Track 1:
"Maqam: Prelude and Dance" from Road to Kashgar
Sample Track 2:
"Winged Horses of Heaven" from Road to Kashgar
Sample Track 3:
"Three Treasures" from Road to Kashgar
Sample Track 4:
"Villagers' Dance" from Road to Kashgar
Layer 2
Bio

About Orchid Ensemble

The Orchid Ensemble blends ancient musical instruments and traditions from China and beyond, creating a beautiful new sound that is both creative and distinct. The ensemble has embraced a variety of musical styles to its repertoire, ranging from the traditional and contemporary music of China, World Music, New Music, and Creative Improvisation. The energetic yet endearing performance style of the ensemble consistently intrigues and delights its audiences, consistently receiving standing ovations. Acclaimed as ‘One of the brightest blossoms on the world music scene’ (Georgia Straight), the Orchid Ensemble has been tirelessly developing an innovative musical genre based on the cultural exchange between Western and Asian musicians. Orchid Ensemble’s 2005 release, ‘Road to Kashgar’, was nominated for a Juno award in the Best World Music category.

The Orchid Ensemble regularly collaborates with musicians from a wide variety of world cultures and actively commissions new works by Canadian and US composers for its unique instrumentation. The ensemble performs regularly in concerts across North America, and at prominent World, Jazz and Folk Music festivals. Recent appearances include The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer Gallery; Canada Day Celebrations in Ottawa; Festival Miami, and the Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

Lan Tung – erhu, percussion & vocal
Lan crosses the lines between classical, contemporary, folk, blues and various ethnic styles, such as Indian, Celtic and Middle Eastern, to expand the horizons of the erhu. Lan has performed with Huun Huur Tu (Tuva), Baka Beyond (UK), Khac Chi Ensemble (Vietnam) and Hossam Shaker (Egypt) and shared the stage with many Vancouver's innovative improvisers, such as Ron Samworth and Coat Cooke. She is a member of Vancouver world music ensemble Tandava, and she has premiered numerous compositions by Canadian and US composers. Trained at Taiwan's Chinese Cultural University, Lan went on to study with erhu virtuosi Jiebing Chen in San Francisco and Zhang Funming in Beijing, with Hindustani violinist Kala Ramnath in Bombay and Egyptian violinist Dr. Alfred Gamil in Cairo. The various influences are evident in Lan's compositions and music arrangements. Lan started classical voice training since she was 12, and she continued at Capilano College and with Joseph Shore in Vancouver. A concert producer and arts administrator, Lan also serves as a board director of the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra.

Haiqiong Deng - zheng, percussion
Haiqiong Deng, a performer on the traditional Chinese instrument the zheng (or gu--zheng), was the winner of the Outstanding Performance Prize at the Chinese National zheng Competition in Shanghai. She has developed an international reputation as zheng soloist and chamber musician with numerous performances throughout China, Japan, Singapore and the United States. She has performed in numerous works in music festivals and invited to give performance and lectures at various universities, museums, and national/regional conferences in the United States. Haiqiong received her Bachelor of music degree in zheng performance from Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Master of Arts in Arts Administration and Ethnomusicology from Florida State University College of Music. She is currently the Director of the Chinese Music Ensemble at the Florida State University. She also taught at University of South Florida and Tallahassee Community College.

Jonathan Bernard - marimba & percussion
Jonathan combines his background in western percussion with a fascination for Asian traditions to create a unique sound palette incorporating a myriad of instruments, techniques and styles. Jonathan’s interests span genres from orchestral music to New Music, and World Music. Having premiered over seventy chamber works, Jonathan regularly performs with Vancouver New Music, Fringe Group, Ensemble Symposium, Tandava, orchestras including the Vancouver, Victoria, CBC Radio Orchestras, and is principal percussionist with the Vancouver Island Symphony. Jonathan’s interest in World Music has led him to perform Chinese, Javanese, Balinese and Korean music and study traditional and contemporary Chinese percussion in Beijing, China, Arabic percussion in Cairo, Egypt, and Carnatic rhythm in South India with the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and British Columbia Arts Council. Jonathan has toured throughout North America, Europe, and Japan.