YANG JIN
Pipa
Born in Datong in China’s Shanxi Province in 1982, Yang Jin began her study of pipa at age nine and went on to receive BA and MA degrees from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Before relocating to the U.S., she served as a pipa instructor at Wuhan Conservatory of Music. Her many awards include first prize in the “TianHua Cup” Traditional Music competition, which she received at age 15, and the Silver Award of the most prestigious Chinese Golden Bell Award for music, which she received in 2004. She has performed in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, France, the U.S., Britain, Japan, and the Philippines. Jin is a solo performer of Cleveland Chinese Music Ensemble, Pittsburgh Purple Bamboo Ensemble (Chinese band), Helio Phoenix Trio (pipa, viola, and piano) and Afro Yaqui Music Collective (jazz) and has performed hundreds of concerts in Ohio and Pennsylvania since 2013. Currently, she lives with her family in Pittsburgh, where she maintains a busy performing and teaching schedule.