Dizi · Chinese bamboo flute
The traditional Chinese flute (dizi) is made out of the bamboo that pandas eat. Different from the Western flute, the Chinese dizi uses a special thin membrane to create its distinctive sound.
Watch on YouTubeMulti-Instrumentalist · Composer · Vocalist
Tiffany- A Multi-Instrumentalist
Eight instruments, many ways to tell a story. I’m Tiffany Qianxun Zhao, a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and vocalist exploring the sounds of traditional Chinese instruments and Western classical music. Through performing, composing, and singing, I bring these musical worlds together in my own voice.
I play eight instruments: flute, piccolo, piano, bamboo flute, suona, hulusi, guitar, and drum set.
Instruments
An exhibit of a multi-instrumentalist
Suona
Suona is a traditional Chinese folk instrument often used at celebrations. Fun fact: its mouthpiece is made of reed, so you need to moisten it with saliva before playing; otherwise, without good breath control, it sounds like a dying donkey.
Watch on YouTubeHulusi
The Chinese hulusi, a traditional free-reed instrument shared by multiple ethnic minorities in Yunnan province, is a folk instrument made out of a gourd.
Watch on YouTubeFlute
Here’s a video of me playing the flute at Phillips Academy with my chamber music group.
Watch on YouTubeComing soonIn the making
Instruments & voice
A new performance bringing several instruments and my singing together. I’m recording it now — stay tuned!
My new creation
Blooming Streets
Blooming Streets (Composer and Bamboo Flute Performer)
As a composer, my latest piece Blooming Streets combines traditional Chinese instruments along with Western classical elements. The piece features the Chinese bamboo flute, erhu, pipa, and guzheng with piano and cello. My inspiration came from a famous poem from the Song Dynasty — 青玉案·元夕. The Chinese birth name I was given by my mother also comes from this poem.
Watch on YouTube