People
NHCCC is a CT 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a board of directors, participating members, and volunteers, who work together to promote cultural awareness in communities around Connecticut.
Artistic Director
Chia-Yu Joy Lu 呂家玗, an accomplished musician, ensemble director, conductor, educator, and scholar, hails from Taiwan. Renowned for her expertise in erhu (二胡) and zhonghu (中胡) performance, she has graced stages globally, from Taiwan, China, England, New Zealand, and the Netherlands to prestigious U.S. venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Yale University, and Cornell University. With over a decade of experience as the artistic director of the Wesleyan Chinese Music Ensemble, she played a crucial role in establishing and leading the Smith College Chinese Music Ensemble and NHCCC. Joy holds a Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University, an M.A. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a BFA in erhu performance and music education from National Taiwan Normal University. Her research delves into music, gender, politics, and identity in Taiwan and China. Additionally, she has created music textbooks, erhu scores, and albums. Passionate about promoting traditional Chinese and Taiwanese music, she collaborates with other artists across diverse musical traditions and artistic disciplines.
Musicians
Born and raised in Taiwan, Lely Evans 戴玲利 studied music and worked briefly with orchestras and “Peta Lithgo and Malaika,” a world music band that performed in the Australian festival circuit. After 2001, Lely began cultural advocacy for families by leading New Haven Chinese Language School. Having retired from teaching, Lely feels grateful to have found her voice in guzheng (古箏), a sound that brings her back to her heritage. She chairs the board of NHCCC with the hope to make her culture accessible to more people around Connecticut!
David Evans has been a bassist since he was nine years old, but only recently began playing Chinese music, as part of NHCCC. His other musical groups include Berkeley College Orchestra and occasionally the Yale Symphony Orchestra. He is interested in the history of incorporating western instrumentation, such as the contrabass, within traditional Chinese musical ensembles. His day jobs are Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Head of Berkeley College at Yale.
Chamber music forms a central aspect of Dylan Kinneavy’s artistry. Dylan’s curiosity led him to explore genres like jazz, indie, and other global traditions. Originally from Minneapolis, his musical and personal development was shaped by Peter Howard and Julie Albers, former and current principal cellists of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Dylan earned his bachelor’s degree from the Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with Eric Kim, and currently pursues a master’s at the Yale School of Music, working with Paul Watkins and Ole Akahoshi.
Dakota Langdon came to New Haven in April in search of something new, working at YNHH as a Radiation Safety Technician. He later found NHCCC and joined where he plays the Zhongruan 中阮, as well as mostly acts as the stage manager. Dakota studied Criminal Law earning a degree, before graduating with a degree in Disaster Prevention Emergency Management, as well as a Certificate in Chinese. Dakota likes Chinese culture, the language and its history. So he took on something new joining NHCCC to make New Haven his new home.
Hongyu Li 李红羽 is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Neurology at Yale University, where she studies Alzheimer’s disease in a mouse model. She began learning the erhu (二胡) at age seven and is passionate about traditional Chinese music. During her undergraduate years at Southern Medical University, China, she joined the university’s Chinese music ensemble, and in her PhD years, she performed in annual New Year’s celebrations. She is excited to meet diverse individuals and immerse herself in the rich world of traditional Chinese music.
Jiayan Liu 刘家嫣 is a senior at Hamden Hall Country Day School. She joined NHCCC with her pipa (琵琶), which she has played since third grade. Because Jiayan is also an experienced and passionate traditional Chinese folk dancer, she often performs a dance selection to complement the themes of NHCCC shows. She believes her years of discipline in the arts helped her develop her focus, character, and the ability to interact and work with others. She is excited to share her art and culture with New Haven.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in New Jersey, Mary Lui is learning the dizi for the first time. She started playing the flute in elementary school and took a 27-year hiatus until she began lessons with Naomi Senzer. She still plays the flute as a hobby and is also learning the piano. She is on the faculty at Yale University where she teaches nineteenth- and twentieth-century U.S. historian, specializing in the field of Asian American history.
Alec McLane was Music Librarian and Director of the World Music Archives at Wesleyan University for 21 years, before his retirement in 2019. His graduate studies were in Music Composition, Ethnomusicology, and Library Science, and he has played Chinese musical instruments, for over 25 years – initially erhu (二胡), later adding gaohu (高胡), sanxian (三弦), and sheng (笙). He has traveled to China several times, visiting music libraries and attending conferences, and performed in Chinese music ensembles at Kent State University and Wesleyan.
Maria Ma hails from Beijing and is rarely not thinking about cats. Having wrestled with the dizi (笛子), erhu (二胡), and gong (鑼) in the Wesleyan Chinese Music Ensemble, she has since embraced the rhythm section and now plays the daruan (大阮). When she is not playing music with NHCCC or drawing regal feline portraits, Maria can be found pursuing a Ph.D. in Classical Philology at Yale University.
Coming from Tokyo and Hong Kong, Lucas Ogawa is an undergraduate student at Yale University majoring in Economics and Statistics & Data Science. He first started playing the Yangqin (杨琴) at the age of 6, and has performed at competitions, school assemblies and public events with his school's Chinese music ensemble. Having briefly stopped playing the Yangqin since coming to college, he hopes to reconnect with the instrument, play in shows and connect with the NHCCC and broader Connecticut community.
Alice Tan 谭心宜 is an 11th-grade student at Saint Joseph High School. She began learning the zhudi at the age of 9. Through NHCCC, she wants to share traditional Chinese music with U.S. audiences and refine her zhudi skills. She particularly enjoys weekly rehearsals, where she gets to discuss music with fellow members. For her, this opportunity is not just about improving her musical abilities, it is also a wonderful chance to share the richness of Chinese culture with others.
Frank Parker is a passionate music educator and ethnomusicologist. A clarinetist, Frank taught in Lahaina, Maui, where he developed a deep appreciation for Hawaiian music, language, and its native biodiversity. He is currently researching how, specifically, klezmer has been shaped by the diverse environments in which Jewish communities have lived throughout history. Frank now teaches music in New Haven Public Schools and sings with the Yale Camerata. Frank is excited to deepen his understanding of traditional Chinese music.
Margaret Wei 魏華慧 is from Taiwan and has been teaching Mandarin for more than a decade. She is an amateur pianist and continues practicing during her leisure time. Margaret serves on the board of NHCCC, overseeing various initiatives for promoting Chinese culture to our community. She is also an active participant of the ensemble, playing yangqin (揚琴). Besides music, Margaret also enjoys cooking, reading, and traveling.
A classical guitarist from LA, Brandon Wong discovered the guitar while watching "soul train." He started lessons at age 5 and the rest is history. Later, Brandon started to connect with his Chinese heritage enjoying Chinese history, ancient instrumentation and art. Brandon met the Ruan when joining NHCCC. When he isn't practicing, Brandon likes to watch sports, play video games, or catch up on HBO fantasy series. Brandon currently pursues a Classical Guitar Masters of Music degree at the Yale School of Music, with Prof. Benjamin Verdery.
Mengxi Ying began learning the erhu at the age of eight. Decades later, the instrument remains a meaningful to her. She started learning piano more recently. Outside of music, Mengxi is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. She enjoys spending time with her family, exploring nature, playing tennis and pickleball, and training her dog. Mengxi finds it a unique experience to feel how music brings people from different backgrounds together, and she looks forward to growing with the ensemble community.
Emy Zheng 郑维熙 is a Year 11 student at Hamden Hall Country Day School. Emy started learning guzheng at a young age and plays guzheng in NHCCC. Emy hopes to promote more beautiful Chinese culture in the United States, as well as to improve her expertise and bring traditional music to more people. She loves to practice and meet others, and sees NHCCC as a great platform for developing experiences and fostering relationships, and hopes it will continue to thrive.
Cole Ford is an environmental technician from Connecticut who studies forestry at the University of Connecticut. Since he was young, he had a love of learning different musical styles and cultures. As a long time member of Kodama Taiko, a Japanese drumming group, Cole yearned to play in an ensemble again until finally joining the NHCCC as a dizi player. When not playing various flutes, Cole can usually be found working in the garden, woodworking, or practicing whatever craft has struck his fancy that week.
Leadership
Lely Evans (president, chair of the board)
Leslie Stone (vice-president, board)
Elisabeth Kennedy (treasurer)
Liqi Ning (secretary, board)
Gary Martin (board)
Mary Lui (board)
Margaret Wei (board)
Past members:
Mei Zheng
Mark Eggerman
Kyle Rivera
Dehong Jin
Chuanzhen Jiang
Aika Sato
Naomi Senzer
Mark Yan
Raymond Luo
Sonia Guan
Kevin Chan