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Summer Thunder Asian Music Ensemble

Member Profiles

Paul Amiel Dizi, Gu Qin Paul's love for music, the Chinese culture, and talking to people led to the formation of the Asian Music Club. Paul spent 4 months in China studying the Gu Qin with master Cheng Gong Liang. He recently returned from Japan where he studied shakuhachi with Katsutoshi Ida. Paul also plays historic harps, Turkish music, and Middle Eastern flutes. Joined 10/10/2005
Julie Trujillo Zhong Ruan, Dizi, Suona Julie is a student studying Equine Sciences. She plays oboe as well as classical guitar besides her first love, the Zhong Ruan. Joined 1/15/2006.
Andrew Wilt Erhu, Zhonghu, Gu Qin His interest in Chinese music came about from his college studies on the Chinese culture and his previous background in playing the violin. While teaching English in China, he studied the erhu as well as the Gu Zheng. He now enjoys playing in the music club as an outlet that is different from Computer Science. Joined 10/10/2005.
Ping Zhou Yang Qin Ping is an alumni from the University of Arizona with a Ph.D. in Optical Science. She studied Yang Qin as a young girl in China and enjoys the chance to play it again, taking a break from the intellectual Optical Sciences.
Peiqin Cao Pi Pa Peiqin learned Pipa at 7 years old and then stopped playing it when going to medical school to be a physician. Recently, she truly enjoyed picking it up again to play with Summer Thunder music group. Music is her life long interest. She is also a member of Tucson Sino Choir. Joined 1/15/2010.
Cindy Behmer Percussion Cindy has studied Western classical music from a young age and is now a professional oboist and English hornist with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. She was introduced to Musics from the around the world as an undergraduate music major and now enjoys having the fantastic opportunity to perform with Summer Thunder as percussionist. Joined 10/15/2010.

Alumni Profiles

Ashley Dacey Pi Pa Ashley is a senior nursing major from Scottsdale, Arizona. She originally used to play the cello and still does as a hobby. After graduating in December 2009, she plans to do travel nursing. She is extremely interested in East Asian culture, foreign languages, and especially the arts. Joined 1/15/2007.
Yi Chen Singer, Yang Qin Yi is a wonderful singer and brings much authenticity to the songs she sings as she studied Chinese literature in China before coming to the United States. She is currently getting her Master's degree in Linguistics and Chinese at the University of Arizona.
Jennifer Kubecka Erhu Her interest in Chinese music started after a tour to China with HarpFusion. Jennifer is currently working on her Master’s degree in library sciences as well as a Master’s degree in harp performance at the University of Arizona. She studies erhu under Andrew Wilt. Joined 10/10/2005.
Yunchi Lee Di Zi
Chenshuo Lu Er Hu
Nan Lan Yang Qin Nan is a former Professor of Chinese and Foreign Literature in China. As a child she studied the erhu, but switched to the yangqin which she has played for many years. Nan has performed on the yangqin many times in China. In her spare time she also plays the piano. Joined 04/14/2008
Ting-Hui Lee Gu Zheng Ting-Hui began studying the Gu Zheng in 2002. You can visit her homepage at NOAO for more information. Joined 8/23/2006.
Liu Er Hu Liu had alsways wanted to learn the Erhu and being in the group gave him a chance to start down that path.
Ma Yan Gu Zheng Ma Yan studied fine art in China, and began to study the Gu Zheng as an adult. She is mostly self-taught but occasionally grabs a lesson when a teacher is around. Joined 10/15/2005.
Daniel Morrow Shaku hachi, Dizi, Percussion Daniel is a man of many talents. He sometimes fills in on percussion for various songs. He is a student at the University of Arizona and plays the clarinet.
Ning Hongmei Xiao Hongmei was one of the original club members. She played the Xiao beautifully and the group strongly felt her loss when she and her husband moved to Boise, Idaho. Joined 10/10/2005.
Peng Mei Erhu Peng Mei studied Erhu in China. He joined the Asian Music Club while his parents worked for the University of Arizona during 2005-2006. At the age of 12, he held the record for the youngest member of the music club. Joined 01/15/2005.
Shuxi Qiao Gu Zheng
Martin Reinhold Dizi Originally from Germany, being an exchange student the first year, now decided to do his Master's degree in trumpet performance, was physically forced into the group by a crazy globetrotter named Paul Amiel he met in the music department ;)
Li Schmidt Singer Li has always enjoyed singing karaoke and Chinese songs after being born and had lived in China for 22 years. She is a family doctor working in a non-profit El Pueblo Health Center, now an El Rio Clinic, and a firm believer that music helps relax and promotes health.
David Shaul Er Hu, Koto David participated in the previous Asian Music Club at the University of Arizona in 1999. He is an accomplished harp player.
Sarah Stephenson Erhu Sarah developed a love for Chinese culture when she started to learn Tai Ji Chuan in 1989 and from there started to study Chinese history and other aspects of the Chinese culture including on-going study of the Chinese language. She also went to school to become a certified and licensed acupuncturist. On her second trip to Chengdu, China she acquired an Er Hu and upon joining Summer Thunder in the autumn of 2005 has been learning how to play Er Hu under the tutelage of Andrew Wilt.
Mike Torres Singer Mike has always had a special interest in Chinese songs. He has been studying with various teachers for over eight years. He sings the Chinese lyrics with excellent pronunciation, which is especially surprising since he doesn't speak or understand Chinese.
Mingming Amy Wang Dizi, HuLuSi Amy is 7 year old and in 2nd grade. Amy started to learn Dizi when she was in China attending first grade. She learned to play Hu Lu Si as well. She loves to play music in the Asian Music Club.
Brittany Wellner Erhu She is a PhD Candidate in Chinese Studies. She previously played violin for a number of years. She loves Chinese traditional music, poetry, and folklore. She has just begun to learn to play the Erhu. Joined 1/30/2007.
Jiang Wu Di Zi Jiang became interested in playing Dizi when he was a graduate student of Chinese philosophy in Nankai University. After coming to United States in 1996, he only practiced occasionally without much guidance. He picked up this hobby again recently after living in Tucson for six years. Dizi fits nicely in my world of teaching and research as it conveys the transcendent spirit of Chinese culture.
Wei Yuan Gu Zheng Wei Yuan studied Gu Zheng at Shen Yang Music College. She now lives in Tucson with her husband.
Yang Yang Mu Yu, Shuang Yin Tong, Xiao Luo, Peng Ling She is a PhD student in the East Asian Studies department at U of A. She is a Chinese traditional dance major when she was in normal college and a drummer at the school band when she was in elementary school. She loves dancing, drumming, and singing Huangmei Opera, a local opera of her hometown--Anhui. She has also taken courses in classic piano, African dance and drum at Ohio University.
Clara Zhang Gu Zheng