Chinese Lutes/Liuqin, Ruan & Pipa

Emily has been playing and performing on Chinese lutes - liuqin, pipa and ruan - for several decades. She studied traditional Chinese lutes under many virtuoso masters: Ms. Catherine Tzueiping Cheng, Ms. Paushow Liu, Ms. Jinghuei Lin and Ms. Showjen Wang, and many famous Chinese lutes masters when they visited Taiwan with Taipei Liuqin Esemble group between 1993-2001. She also was an initial member of Taipei Liuqin Ensemble group in 1993.

In 2003 she performed two successful solo recitals in at State College, PA, USA. One of the performance pieces was modified from a famous violin concerto, "Butterfly Lover”. In 2003 during her study at Penn State, she premiered Jason Fick's "Ocean's Gift" for guitar and liuqin duet. In 2007 and 2008, she performed the liuqin solo "Sword Dance" and "Playful Willow Mandolin" for liuqin and Chinese ensemble with the Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra.

Having taught Chinese lutes in group and private lessons in both Taiwan and the U.S. for decades, many of her students not only have great joy and fulfillment in learning a new instrument,but also discovering and exploring beauty of Chinese music.

Teaching Method

In teaching and performing, she emphasizes resonance of the basic tone quality and density of tremolo of "Tan Tiao," the basic right hand technique for traditional Chinese lute. Her lessons emphasize finger power, posture, basic music fundamentals (such as rhythm, pitch accuracy, sight reading, tempo, etc.), and different styles of Chinese and western music, depending on each student's skill and interest level.