Head of Art Troupe of the Huayun Professional Art Troupe
A native of Shanghai, Ann Yao inherited her musical family tradition by studying traditional
Chinese musical instruments with her grandfather (the renowned pipa lute and the
bamboo <lute xiao player Sun Yude) and her aunt Sun Wenyan and her husband He Baoquan
(both on the faculty of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music). After Ann graduated from the
conservatory in 1983, she immediately joined the prestigious the China National
Traditional Orchestra as the principal zheng player. In 1982, while still a college student,
Ann was selected to tour 27 U.S. cities with the Shanghai Musicians Group. In 1984 she
came to the States again, then as a member of the China National Traditional Orchestra,
participating in the Olympic Arts Festival in Los Angles. Since she moved to the U.S. in
1985, Ann joined the renowned New York-based Chinese ensemble Music from China. Late
she moved to Florida and worked for Walt Disney World as a member of Chinese Sixian
Music show. As a zheng soloist, Ann has appeared at many concerts and festivals, such as
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall, Metropolitan Museum of Art,
National Folk festival, Sana ja Sävel Festival Arts Festival, La Stanza dei giochi, and La Strada
Summer Festival. Ann is the 2009 Florida Folk Heritage Award winner and multiple-time
recipient of Florida Folklife Apprenticeship Program Award. She is among the featured
artists in the documentary, Mastering the Art.
