About the Ensemble

Actually composed of 13 young girls in their twenties, they always perform with 12 members at all times. Hailing from the People's Republic of China, they are one of the most popular musical ensembles in their homeland. The Twelve Girls Band play traditional and ancient musical instruments of China and incorporate them into modern harmonies and vibrant performances. Each member is conservatory trained and a member of top orchestras including the China Academy of Music, the Chinese National Orchestra, and the Central Conservatory of Music and all play multiple instruments. Their influences range from jazz, pop, rock, and classical styles mixed with traditional Chinese music. Twelve Girls Band is the most successful act on the international stage and were named "International Artist of the Year" at the 2004 Japan Golden Disc Award ceremonies.

The band's origin helps explain this remarkable success. Twelve is an important figure in Chinese numerology. There are twelve months in a year and twelve jinchai (or golden hairpins, representing womanhood) in ancient Chinese mythology. When producer Xiaojing Wang, known as the father of Chinese rock music, had the idea for an all female ensemble, he knew it had to have twelve members. For inspiration, the Twelve Girls Band turned to the music of Yue Fang, the female ensembles that played in the royal courts of the Tang Dynasty centuries ago. By playing modern arrangements on classical instruments, Twelve Girls Band crafted something unique in world music. They began playing as an ensemble in 2001.

The Performers

(Listed by name and their instrument.)

Binqu Liao -- dizi, hulusi, xiao
Juan Shi -- pipa
Ting Sun -- erhu
Song Mei Yang -- yang qin
Ying Lei -- erhu, du xian qin
Li Jun Zhan -- erhu
Jing Jing Ma -- yang qin
Yan Yin -- erhu
Bao Zhong -- pipa
Jiannan Zhou -- gu zheng
Kun Zhang -- pipa
Yuan Sun -- dizi, hulusi, xiao
Jin Jiang -- erhu

About the Instruments

gu zheng: ancient zither with movable bridges and 16-25 strings
pipa: four-stringed lute with pear shaped body
yangqin: Chinese hammered dulcimer with a near-square soundboard
erhu: two-stringed Chinese fiddle
dizi: bamboo flute
hulusi: end-blown free reed pipe with gourd windchest
xiao: vertical bamboo flute
du xian qin: ancient plucked string instrument with one string