About Us
As China's pioneer in historical performance, we are proud to introduce musical marvels from roughly 1600-1750 to a very large audience not yet familiar with early music. It is our mission to bring not only performance practice but also music otherwise not heard in this part of the world.
Menglin Gao, founder, theorbo/recorders
Theorbist and recording engineer Menglin Gao holds degrees in recorders, voice and theorbo/basso continuo. He is a recent graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, having studied under Mike Fentross and Joachim Held. As a theorbist, he has performed across three continents, especially in Asia, where he founded and directed the Shanghai Camerata, the first and most successful baroque group in China. Gao's previous teachers and mentors include Ellen Hargis, Kathryn Montoya, David Stern, Nigel North, among others. Since 2016, Gao has taken the Shanghai Camerata to venues and festivals such as the Beijing Music Festival, Shanghai Spring International Music Festival, MISA, etc. Gao has given lectures and/or masterclasses at Fudan University, New York University, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and the Tianjin Juilliard School.
As an up-and-coming classical recording engineer, Gao is aided by his decades-old interest in audio, recordings, and his experience performing music. In 2023, he was awarded the Excellence Scholarship to pursue a master's degree in classical recording in the Art of Sound department at the Royal Conservatoire of the Hague.
Ruiqi Ren, baroque violin
Born in China, violinist Ruiqi Ren has appeared on stage throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia. Her performances can be heard on BBC Radio 3 through Wigmore Hall, Radio France with Ensemble Jupiter, and NPO Klassiek with Nederlandse Bachvereniging. In September, Ruiqi fi nished her recording under the label of Warner Classics with Ensemble Jupiter, the CD will be released in the year of 2025.
In recent years, Ruiqi made her debut as the soloist at the Edinburgh international festival with Richard Egarr and Palacio Euskalduna with Fabio Bonizzoni. Ren is a core member with many renowned ensembles such as Ensemble Jupiter, The English Concert, Il Pomo d'Oro , The Nederlandse Bachvereniging and La Risonanza, with which she appeared worldwide on stage at the Wigmore hall, Carnegie hall, Alice Tully hall, the Concertgebouw, and Palau de la music, to name but a few. During her years at the Juilliard School, Ren made her debut as concertmaster of the ‘Juilliard 415 orchestra’ together with conductor Paul Agnew at Alice Tully hall. “In the end, it is not about me, it is about us” -a totem she always carries when performing on stage.
As a core member of China’s fi rst early music ensemble-Shanghai Camerata, Ren has been an important force in the development of historical performance in China. Her teachers include Cynthia Roberts, Shunske Sato, Rachel Podger, Ryo Terakado, Robert Mealy, Stanley Ritchie, and Marilyn McDonald. Ren also serves as the Editor-In-Chief of the bilingual musician magazine Along-Imparted, which aims to build a cross-cultural platform through music and art. Ren holds degrees from the Juilliard School, Indiana University, Oberlin Conservatory, and Royal Conservatory of The Hague.
Hongxia Cui, baroque violin
Baroque Violinist Hongxia Cui is active in the Freiburger Baroque Orchestra and La Stagione Frankfurt, amongst others. Concurrently concertmaster of different Baroque Orchestras and Ensembles such as Styriarte Festival Orchester, Frank- furt Bach Collegium, Theatro del Mondo, Mainz Bachchor. As Concertmaster, she played under many famous conductors such as Ton Koopmann, Michael Schneider, Ralf Otto, and Michael Hofstetter. She performed on tour with these orchestras at world-class Festivals, including those such as Aix Provence Opera Festival, Styrairte Festival, and mostly Mozart Festival in
New York. Handel Festival, Telemann Festival, Hong Kong Arts Festival, and Willington Music Festival. She has also taken part in many recordings, particularly the album with Haydn‘s “Creation” which won the 53rd Grammy award. She studied at the Conservatory of Music Sichuan and the“Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst
Frankfurt am Main” with Prof. Susanne Stoodt and Prof. Petra Müllejans. For her outstanding Playing, she also received the Wolf-Schröder-Hillgendorf-Scholarship.
Meili Li, countertenor
Europe-based countertenor Meili Li is known for his" hugely attractive voice" "unwavering, clean countertenor" ( Brian Dickie and Opera).
He has worked in major houses and festivals such as Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne Festival, Birmingham Opera Company, Hungarian State Opera and London Handel Festival. A few of his roles include Oberon/A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hungarian State Opera); Nireno/Giulio Cesare (Concertgebouw, Amsterdam); Spirito/L'Orfeo (Royal Opera House).
He has given concerts around Europe and China with prestigious musicians such as Sir John Elliot Gardiner, Christopher Moulds, Rachel Podger, Lawrence Zazzo and Long Yu.
Meili has a wide range of repertoire in different genres, styles and languages: from Renaissance lute songs to modern and contemporary music and operas. He performs in Italian, French, English, German, Latin and Chinese.
After finishing a BA in film at Peking University, he studied singing at Royal Academy of Music with Michael Chance where he received an MA with Distinction and DipRAM title, and was one of the few students in the history of the Academy to receive full marks for his final recital. He then studied with Yvonne Kenny and completed the Guildhall opera course with Distinction in 2015. He won the Farinelli Prize at the 2016 London Handel Singing Competition and is an Independent Opera scholar and fellow.
As the first and only Chinese countertenor to have an international career, Meili has also attracted great interest from Chinese media and audiences. He is frequently invited to TV and radio programmes, and interviewed by well-known magazines and newspapers. His new CD is released in 2018.
Jiayu Jin, soprano
Praised by critiques as "A singer of enormous expressiveness, she astounded at various moments with great drama and excellent prosodic work, very effectively resolving chromatic passages to amplify expression."Jiayu Jin, soprano, is the winner of the 2nd Prize and the Engagement Prize for the “Akademie Konzerte” at the 15th Cesti Competition in Innsbruck (2024), the 1st Prize at the inaugural “Cavalli Monteverdi” International Baroque Vocal Competition in Cremona (2023), and the 1st Prize at the 13th Provenzale Baroque Singing Competition organized by the association Pietà de’ Turchini in Naples (2024). She was also a Young Artist at the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera during the 2023–2024 season.
Jiayu’s Baroque career began in 2022 with a concert collaboration with Fabio Biondi and Europa Galante. Since then, she has performed at major early music festivals across Europe, including the Rome Baroque Music Festival, the Bremen Music Festival in Germany, the Naples Baroque Festival, and the Madrid International Baroque Music Festival. In 2024, she sang the roles of Euridice and La Musica in Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo at the Monteverdi Festival in Cremona, in collaboration with Il Pomo d’Oro under the baton of Francesco Corti.
Also in 2024, she performed the Cantus part in Monteverdi’s Vespro della Beata Vergine, conducted by Gianluca Capuano, at both the Théâtre de Monte-Carlo and the Salzburg Festival. In 2025, she will also appear as Primavera in Alessandro Scarlatti’s oratorio La Gloria di Primavera at Teatro Massimo in Palermo and Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, and perform Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater with Il Pomo d’Oro and Ann Hallenberg.
She launched a solo collaboration project entitled Lamenti di Donna with the renowned Spanish Baroque ensemble La Spagna, under the direction of Alejandro Marías, embarking on a concert tour that received glowing critical acclaim.
Zhou Feng, violone/viola da gamba/recorders
Born in Shanghai, Zhou Feng graduated from Tsinghua University, China Central
Conservatory of Music, and Royal Conservatoire The Hague. He premiered double
bass sonatas of Hindemith and Gubaidulina in China. In recent years, he has focused
on the study and promotion of European early music. He participated in the initiative
of the first ‘Viennese Double Bass Symposium’ in Conservatorium van Amsterdam in
2016. He has been an extended member of the Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
since 2017. He was invited to be a jury member of the Viennese Double Bass
Competition in Amsterdam twice in 2017 and 2019.
He has actively engaged in early music events in China as well. Since 2018, he has been a
member of Shanghai Camerata, China's first historically informed period instrument
baroque band. Furthermore, as a viola da gamba player, he performed the music of
Bach, Couperin, Marais, Forqueray. As a Viennese double bass player, he premiered
the works of Mozart, Vanhal, and Pichl in China. As a recorder player, he has appeared as a soloist performing the six Brandenburg Concertos with the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra. He also gave the Chinese premiere of Christopher Ball’s recorder concerto. He is the artistic director and a conductor of the Tsinghua University Alumni Orchestra.
Marie Nadeau-Tremblay, baroque violin
During the final session of her undergraduate degree in violin performance at McGill
University, Marie NadeauTremblay decided to try her hand at the Baroque. She joined
the university’s Baroque orchestra and fell head over heels in love! Transported by the
beauty of this music— and finding resonance with its mode of expression— she decided
to plunge headfirst into the Baroque world. After obtaining a Licentiate Degree, she
pursued further studies, receiving a Master’s Degree in Early Music Performance. After
being awarded numerous prizes and scholarships at McGill — including the prestigious
Mary McLaughlin prize, which she won four years in a row — Marie Nadeau-Tremblay
received an Early Music America grant in 2017. More recently, in 2019, she swept the
honor roll of the Concours de musique ancienne Mathieu Duguay with an unprecedented
four awards: First Prize, the People’s Choice Award, the Festival Montréal Baroque
Prize, and the Été musical de Barachois Prize. Named “CBC’s Classical Revelation
2021-2022” and winner of the 2021 Opus prize for “Discovery of the year”, Marie is also
awarded the Choquette Symcox prize by the Jeunesses Musicales du Canada the same
year. Her album La Peste (2020) was named one of the 20 best classical albums of
2020 by the CBC and was nominated for a Juno Award. Her first solo album, Préludes et
Solitudes, was released in October 2021 and won in 2023 the Opus of best album of the
year in its category. In 2023, she is named “Emerging Artist” by Early Music America,
and released a new album with Les Barocudas, Basta Parlare, that got nominated for a
Juno. Marie plays on an original 1750s Thomas Perry instrument as well as an Amati
model violin made by Timothy Johnson and generously lent to her by Mr Jacques
Marchand. Her favourite colour is green and she has a cat named Maderin-chan.
Chen Dai, baroque oboe
Born in a musical family. At an early age, Chen began studying the oboe with his mentor. Kai Zhu from the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. At the age of 14, he was admitted to the Shenzhen Art School. where he studied under Zhi ding Fu. Under the careful guidance of his teachers at the Shenzhen Art School, he was admitted to the Mozarteum University Salzburg with a top score in the oboe major in 2010. Studying under Professor Günther Passin, a renowned oboe educator from Germany, and later studied under Professor Rafael Palacios to learn Baroque Oboe and Baroque performance.
During his studies, Chen received guidance from many renowned oboists and educators both at home and abroad. such as Yu Bai. (Professor of Oboe at the Peking Central Conservatory of Music) Ingo Goritzki (German oboist), Qing Chen, (the conductor of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra). Stefan Schilli (the Bavaria Radio Symphony Orchestra in Germany), and Nora Cismondi (the French National Symphony Orchestra)
While studying abroad, Chen participated in the Salzburg Music Festival, the Bad Goisern Music Festival, and the Markneukirchen Oboe Art Festival, Chen performed as a chamber musician and solo oboist.
From 2018 to 2021, Chen served as the principal oboist of the Shenzhen Grand Theater Philharmonic. Since 2022, he has been the baroque oboist of the Shanghai Camerata.
From 2024 to 2025, Chen Dai received tutelage in Europe from Alfredo Bernardini, Xenia Löffle, Martin Stadler, and Marcel Ponseele. He was invited to perform with the Hugo Distler Chor and the Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, receiving universal acclaim.
Yanmin Lu, baroque cello
A native of Shanghai, China, Mr. Lu entered the Music Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music with his outstanding talent and studied with Professor Meijuan Liu at age 13. Later, he was offered a full scholarship to enroll the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, National University of Singapore; where he received his Bachelor degree of Music in cello performance and studied with Nella Hunkins and Liwei Qin, silver medalist of Tchaikovsky Competition in 1998. Mr. Lu is also a baroque cello player; he was introduced to baroque cello by one of the pioneers of “Dutch Baroque School”, cellist Anner Bylsma. Bylsma has been an important mentor and teacher for Mr. Lu in early music playing, and as well as in his musical life. Mr. Lu has performed with Nieuw Philharmonic Utrecht, Bell’ Arte festival Orchestra in Alzenau Germany, Het Sweelinck Baroque Orkest, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, etc. In winter 2015, because of the influence of Anner Bylsma and the passion of baroque music, he moved to Amsterdam and in June of 2018 completed a master degree on both baroque and modern cello in Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Viola de Hoog and Jeroen den Herder.
Xiao He, baroque cello
Xiao He is a cellist from China, Beijing. His main focus is early music, historical performance, and basso continuo. Xiao studied baroque cello master's degree following Prof. Christophe Coin at Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, following Prof. Werner Matzke at Staatliche Hochschule für Musik Trossingen(Konzertexamen),learning viola da gamba under Prof. Lorenz Duftschmid. He is also studying at Royal Academy of Music(Advanced Diploma) with Prof. Jonathan Manson. Xiao returned to China, serving as a lecturer at the Communication University of China, Nanjing from 2022, actively promoting and performing early music. His students have successfully applied for study at Royal College of Music, University of Music Franz Liszt, Weimar and Zurich University of the Arts. Xiao is a cellist of the Shanghai Camerata and guest principal of the Nanchang Symphony Orchestra. He received awards from competitions such as Osaka International Early Music Competition, The "Beethoven Era" Historical Instrumental Music Competition, held by the Beethoven Society of Bonn, Germany. Mr. He's instrument (baroque cello) is made by Barak Norman, London ca. 1700.
Jin Yan, recorders
Jin Yan was born in Kunming, China.
From 2010 to 2017 she studied recorder with Professor Hans Maria Kneihs and Professor Carsten Eckert at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, graduating with distinction.
She has performed at festivals and venues such as Carintischer Sommer/Austria, Settimana della Musica Contemporanea in Italy, York Early Music Festival in the UK, Basilica Santa Maria del Mar in Spain, among others.
Apart from working as a soloist, Jin Yan performs in several chamber music groups such as Davidsbund and Shanghai Camerata. She is also a co-founder of Ensemble Ancor, a group specializing in music from the Medieval and the Renaissance periods. In 2014, the Swiss Foundation Thyll-Dürr invited Ensemble Ancor to become one of their Ensemble in Residence for 2014 at the Casa Zia Lina in Elba, Italy. Ensemble Ancor’s project “Sounds of the Past - Lining Renaissance and Medieval Music” has been awarded the prestigious Bank Austria Kunstpreis in 2015.
Danilo Bonina, baroque violin
Danilo Bonina earned his Bachelor in violin from the F. Torrefranca Conservatory in Vibo Valentia (Italy). Winner of the “Venetico”, “Pedara”, and “Pizzo Calabro” International Competitions, he made his solo debut in 1996. He received his Master of Music degree from the Mannes College of Music in New York where he studied with Nina Beilina. He later obtained his Graduate Performance Diploma in Historical Performance from the Longy School of Music under the guidance of Dana Maiben. He is the founder of the Ars Vetus and Corelli Collective historical ensembles. He has performed in Master Classes given by Jamie Laredo, Rachel Podger, Elizabeth Blumenstock, Phoebe Carrai, Aisslinn Nosky, and others. Active on both baroque and modern violin, he has toured Europe, USA, and Asia with orchestras such as Bachanalia Festival Orchestra, Ars Lyrica Houston, Ensemble du Monde, Eudaimonia, Oriana Consort, Corelli Collective, Shanghai Camerata, and many others. He has worked with conductors such as Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Masaaki Suzuki, Otto Werner Mueller, Joann Falletta, Nicholas McGegan, Peter Maag, Paul Nadler, Andrew Megill, Murray Forbes Somerville, and others. In high demand as a pedagogue, he is currently a member of the faculty at the Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Mimoe Todo, harpsichord and organ
Mimoe Todo is a harpsichordist from Japan, based in Germany. Her interest and passion for chamber music keep her regularly engaged as a continuo player. She enjoys performing on harpsichord, organ ,and fortepiano in many different contexts, including in modern and baroque professional orchestras such as Balthasar Neumann Orchestra, Ensemble Resonanz, and Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum Leipzig. She collaborated with internationally renowned musicians such as Bernhard Forck, Enrico Onofri, Ricardo Minasi, and Reinhard Goebel, which gave her important musical influences. Since Oktober 2023, she has worked as a repettitur for the early music department at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen. She accompanied several master courses as a correpetitiour at the summer academy ‚Bach300‘ of Freiburger Barockorchester, at Barockkurses at the Hanns Eisler Music College with Bernhard Forck, at the summer academy in Neuburg an der Donau, just to name a few. She is also a fellowship member of the English Concert in the 2024/25 season. She also asissted a barock chamber music program as s mentor for the School voor Jong Talent of the Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag. During her early music studies in Nuremberg and Den Haag, she was a recipient of Adriana Jacoba Fonds, DAAD, Chancengleichheit für Frauen, and various other scholarships. She holds Master’s degrees in piano, harpsichord, and correpeition historical keyboard instrument (vocal). Her chamber music groups were awarded prizes in various competitions, such as the Chamber music Competition (1st prize) from Mozart-Verein in Nuremberg in 2015, International Duo Competition ‘Suzana Szörenyi’ (1st prize) in 2018 in Bucharest, and International Berlin Bach Competition (2nd prize) in 2021, amongst others.