Sound River by Tan Dun

UNESCO Global Goodwill Ambassador Tan Dun graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts from Columbia University, New York. He is the Dean of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, Hong Kong's Ambassador for Cultural Promotion, and Artistic Advisor of the China National Symphony Orchestra. His work has earned him prestigious honors, including the Venice Biennale Golden Lion Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Grammy Award, Oscar, Bach Prize, Shostakovich Award, Grawemeyer Award, the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the 50th Istanbul International Music Festival.

Tan Dun has created internationally influential works, including Buddha Passion; Organic Music such as Water, Paper, and Earth Music; the percussion concerto The Tears of Nature; multimedia concertos Nu Shu and The Map; Internet Symphony Eroica; and operas including The First Emperor, Marco Polo, Tea, and Nine Songs. His cinematic "Martial Arts Trilogy" - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and The Banquet - has achieved global acclaim, alongside over 100 orchestral, concerto, and traditional Chinese musical works.

He composed music for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 World Expo, and the 2016 opening of Shanghai Disneyland, with the Disney opening ceremony breaking world records for concert broadcasts. In 2019, he was named the Global Music Ambassador for Beethoven's 250th anniversary. In 2024, marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, he conducted the World Youth Choir and the German National Youth Orchestra in the world premiere of his Choral Concerto: Nine at the Rheingau Music Festival.

The New York Times named him one of the "ten most important musicians on the international scene," and he was selected as one of the ten most influential Chinese people globally by major Chinese media. His leadership history includes serving as Chair of the Carnegie Hall China Committee, Honorary Conductor for Life of the Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Artistic Director of the China Youth Symphony Orchestra, Creative Director for the Philadelphia Orchestra's tours, and Artistic Director of the Tanglewood International Festival of Contemporary Music.

A Mongolian female singer and morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) player. She is one of only three female singers in Inner Mongolia who can perform "khoomei", a unique throat-singing technique from Mongolian culture. Under the guidance of the Mongolian khoomei master Aoduo Surong, Wuyuntana mastered this distinctive vocal art, known for its ability to produce multiple tones simultaneously, evoking the vastness and depth of the Mongolian grasslands. A graduate of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Wuyuntana joined the Inner Mongolia Radio and Television Art Troupe in 2007, where she has performed both morin khuur and khoomei.

Wuyuntana has graced the stages of numerous prestigious cultural events, both in the Chinese Mainland and abroad including the Mongolian Spring Festival Gala, the World Folk Art Festival in France, and the Shanghai International Arts Festival, captivating audiences with her artistry. Her exceptional talent has earned her several accolades, including third prize in the inaugural Inner Mongolia Morin Khuur Competition, as well as recognition in multiple khoomei competitions. As a devoted cultural ambassador for Mongolian music, she is committed to sharing this rich and ancient tradition with the world, showcasing its unique beauty through the evocative art of throat singing and the soulful sounds of the morin khuur.

Louise Kwong's musical achievements were recognised when she was awarded one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award in 2019 and the Award for Young Artist (Music) in 2014 by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. Internationally, Kwong made her debut at the Rome Opera House as Mimì in La bohème and as Micaëla in Carmen at Caracalla Rome in 2018. She has sung in various renowned performance venues, including the Concertgebouw of Amsterdam and Graz Opera House of Austria. In 2017, she debuted at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing in the role of Rita in opera The Dawns Here Are Quiet.

As a lyric soprano, her roles include Cio-cio-san in Madame Butterfly, Mimì in La bohème, Micaëla in Carmen and Liù in Turandot.  Kwong is the prize winner of numerous international competitions, namely the Second prize, Audience prize and the Best Soprano prize at the 18th International Singing Competition Ferruccio Tagliavini in Austria, the First prize at the Singing Competition Salice d'Oro 2015 in Italy; the First prize at the Singing Competition Città di Iseo 2015 in Italy; and the Second prize at the 7th International Singing Competition Bell'arte in Belgium.

Rong Chenchu, PhD in Philosophy, is a contemporary percussionist, jazz vibraphonist, arranger, and composer dedicated to promoting and preserving Chinese traditional percussion music. Currently serving as Executive Director of the Chinese Nationality Orchestra Society of the Chinese Musicians' Association and Director of the Percussion Professional Committee of the Shanghai Musicians Association, she is a Global Artist for multiple brands, including MUSSER Percussion, Jinbao Musical Instruments, and Innovative Percussion. Recognised as an Outstanding Literary and Artistic Worker in Shanghai, she teaches percussion at Shanghai Normal University and Shanghai Theatre Academy. She is the Graduate Mentor and Honorary Alumni of the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston.

Born in Hong Kong, Christy Cheung began violin studies at the age of four under Lee Wing Shun. She holds a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and a Master of Arts (Performance) from the Royal Academy of Music, majoring in violin and minoring in viola. Her principal teachers include Michael Ma, Gian Paolo Peloso and Martin Outram, with chamber music training under Ivan Chan. She was awarded the SAR Philharmonic Scholarship and the Wong Wai Ming Memorial Scholarship.

Cheung has performed widely in chamber and orchestral settings, appearing at the 38th Shanghai Spring International Music Festival and working with conductors such as Jaap Van Zweden, Lio Kuokman, Yip Wing Sie and Edward Gardner. Internationally, she has participated in Collegium Musicum in Germany and the Sommermusik Im Oberen Nagoldtal. Currently, she is a freelance member of the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong.

Lawrence Wong is an active violist who performs frequently in solo, chamber and orchestral settings. At the age of 14, he appeared as a soloist with the Wien Residenz Orchestra, marking an early milestone in his career. He was selected as a Musicus Society Young Artist in 2023.

Wong studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston under Marcus Thompson, where he co‑founded the Blanche Quartet, awarded as the 2019–2020 NEC Honors Quartet. Through this recognition, the ensemble toured the greater Boston area and expanded its performance opportunities. He has received chamber coaching from distinguished musicians including David Finckel, Joseph Lin, and Soovin Kim. He has performed with leading orchestras such as the Juilliard Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and the Munich Chamber Orchestra.