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Mei Han is a groundbreaking virtuoso propelling the Chinese zheng into radical new dimensions of musical expression. Presenting music deeply rooted in over two thousand years of Chinese culture, Han is transforming this stately instrument into a powerful tool for the contemporary international concert stage. She is a consummate performer, appearing with leading artists around the world in a multitude of musical genres from symphonic, chamber and New Music; to traditional and World music; and from Creative Improvisation to electronic.

Han studied with China’s top zheng masters Zhang Yan and Gao Zicheng, and performed as a featured soloist with the prestigious Beijing Zhan You Ensemble, the premiere ensemble of its type in China. Han went on to become a rare blend of performer and scholar with two Master’s degrees in ethnomusicology, from the Musical Research Institute of the Chinese Arts Academy in Beijing (1995), considered internationally the most prestigious institute for Chinese music studies, and from the University of British Columbia (2000). Han wrote the zheng entry for the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the premiere music reference book, and has published articles in music journals in both English and Chinese. She has lectured on Chinese music in numerous universities and music institutes around the world.

A dynamic performer and innovator, Han has been exploring new directions for solo zheng and unique combinations of zheng with other instruments in a contemporary experimental aesthetic. Works written for, and premiered by, Han include a zheng concerto (by John Sharpley, premiered with China Philharmonic Orchestra), a composition for zheng and string quartet (by John Oliver, premiered with Borealis String Quartet) and a work for zheng and harpsichord (by Janet Danielson, premiered with Cynthia Hebert). A commanding virtuoso, Han regularly performs challenging new works by contemporary international composers including compositions by Minoru Miki, Yuji Takahashi, and Barry Truax amongst others.

Han’s career spans Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, and North America. As a soloist, Han has performed with a number of orchestras internationally. Together with composer and multi-instrumentalist Raine-Reusch, Han toured to prestigious venues in Australia (WOMAD), Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore (WOMAD), and South Africa. With her Chinese string band Red Chamber she has toured North America and the Netherlands with a feature performance at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. An accomplished improviser, she has toured North America and China with the Mei Han Art Ensemble. She performed at major international music festivals, including the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, International Festival de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, Atlantic Jazz Festival, Nanjing International Jazz Festival, Vancouver New Music Festival, Open Ears New Music Festival, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, Vancouver Chamber Music Festival and Vancouver International Folk Festival.

Han’s first solo CD, Outside the Wall of traditional and contemporary works, received critical acclaims, with airplay on CBC (Canada), BBC (Great Britain), and ABC (Australia). Her collaboration with Randy Raine-Reusch on Distant Wind for zheng duet, and Road to Kashgar with the Orchid Ensemble were nominated for Juno Awards (Best Global). Han’s album Ume with piano luminary Paul Plimley creates a rich and original musical language in contemporary jazz aesthetic. Her latest album Redgrass with Red Chamber features string band music from Chinese imperial court to Bluegrass, backed by mandolin master John Reischman and the Jaybirds.

With passion and vigor, Han’s stunning presentations of contemporary music constantly challenge the conservatism of Chinese music, and redefine the zheng as a powerful vehicle of innovation and expression.