Biography
Yu Jun - Chinese Zheng Soloist, Singer, Arranger, Educator
She is one of the best Zheng soloist in China and Europe. Yu Jun has a very wide-ranging music talent, from classical Chinese music to contemporary music, jazz, world music and improvisation.
Yu Jun was born in Shanghai, growing up in musical family of three generations with legendary musicians, composers, the most prolific persons in the Chinese Zheng music history. She had great influence from her grandfather, professor Wang Xunzhi, the great composer and founder of the "Zhe Jiang" Zheng school and her aunt, professor Wang Chang Yuan, the most virtuoso Zheng master and great composer who started the contemporary Chinese music of Zheng.
Yu Jun started playing Zheng, piano and accordion at the age of six. She played her first concerts at the age of eight, and began her international career at the age of 16. When she was 26, she graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1997.
As a brilliant soloist, Yu Jun is working both with classical and avant-garde music. She was the pioneer to play jazz and improvisational music on her Chinese instrument, since her student time.
Yu Jun worked with different artists and projects, Pierre Dørge and the new Jungle Orchestra, Yusef Lateef, Han Bennink, Master-class at Copenhagen Rhythmic Conservatory, Solo performance at NHK-TV station (Japan), Opera "Turadot, solo performance in Hong Kong TVB TV-station, "Chinese Compass" (Danish Contemporary Opera), "The Monkey Oswald" (Danish Film), Copenhagen Jazzfestival at Royal Opera House, Yokahama Art festival, Japan, "Haus der Kulturen der Welt" (Berlin), "Meet in Bejing" festival (China), "Asian Comments" festival (Copenhagen), "Internationale Festival" (Dresden), International Jazzfestival Shanghai.
She also played for the German Chancelor, Gerhard Schröder and the Berlin Major, Klaus Wowereit.
