XINYUE (SERENA) LI

Started practice the Chinese plucked zither, Guzheng since 1998. She received her bachelor’s degree in Music Performance in 2014 in China. Around the same time, she was offered to teach the Guzheng at elementary schools and music education institutions. Transitioning from being simply a Guzheng student to an educator created her most valuable aspects of her creative and professional life. She has graduated from Missouri State University in Music Theory in 2017 and was featured as the first musician to play a Chinese instrument. Xinyue is currently Assistant Secretary General of Nevada US China Cultural Association.
The guzheng has gone through many changes during its long history. The oldest specimen yet discovered held 13 strings and was dated to possibly during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). The guzheng became prominent during the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC). By the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) the guzheng may have been the most played instrument in China. The modern guzheng commonly has 21, 25 or 26 strings, is 64 inches long, and is tuned in a major pentatonic scale. Since 2010, there are also some smaller versions of Guzheng, which is about 55 inches and Butterfly Guzheng which has two sets of bridges and larger range.