Mei began playing the zheng at ten years of age, advancing rapidly to study with a number of the most famous zheng masters in China, including Zhang Yan, and Cao Zheng (Tsao Chung). She was a featured soloist for over ten years with the prestigious Beijing Zhan You Ensemble, considered the premiere ensemble of its type in China. Her performances have been broadcast on national radio throughout China and are included in numerous records and CDs. Mei has often fulfilled the role as a musical ambassador with lectures and performances for the United Nations Development Program, the Diplomatic Society of the British Commonwealth, the Embassies of Canada, United States, Brazil and Kenya, and for a number of international schools in China.

Now residing in Vancouver, Canada, Mei has formed a new duo with composer and multi-instrumentalist Randy Raine-Reusch, exploring unique combinations of instruments in a contemporary experimental aesthetic that parallels ancient Chinese musical traditions. They have performed together at the WOMAD Festival Singapore, the Rainforest World Music Festival in Malaysia and the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. They have presented concerts in Prague, at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver, and most recently in Tokyo, Japan. Mei also tours nationally with the Orchid Ensemble, which combines both Western and Chinese instruments performing traditional Chinese and contemporary western repertoire. Mei is often a guest of groups performing both traditional and contemporary music from different cultures, and actively continues to perform traditional Chinese music as a soloist.

Mei holds two Master’s degrees in ethnomusicology, the first from the Musical Research Institute of the Chinese Arts Academy in Beijing (1995), considered internationally the most prestigious institute for Chinese music studies; and the second from the University of British Columbia (2000). Mei wrote the zheng entry for the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, which is the premiere reference book in the world on music. She has also published more than ten articles, and translations on Chinese instrumental and Minority music in prominent Chinese and Taiwanese music journals. She was the teaching assistant for the ethnomusicology program, and the zheng instructor at UBC.

Contact details and further information

E-mail Mei Han

For further details, see Mei Han's website