Cui Junzhi
(Konghou Player)

Cui Junzhi, China's leading Konghou player--has given this ancient Chinese harp a new life and brought it to the international music stage.

Cui Junzhi graduated from the Department of Instrumental Music of the Chinese Conservatory in 1979. Now, Cui Junzhi has relocated to America and iis a solo konghou player for American perfoming groups. She also teaches Konghou at the San Jose State University Conservatory. Additionally, she works as the artistic director of the Chinese International Konghou Association and teaches Konghou at the Chinese Central Conservatory and the Chinese Music Conservatory, the two most prestigious music conservatories in China.

When the Konghou was first reconstructed, there was a lack in proper techniques to perform the instument. Cui Junzhi imported performance techniques from various Chinese traditional stringedinstruments and those of western harps to Konghou performance. She successfully developed a whole set of techniques for playing Konghou. Her book "Konghou World' has been published and distributed world-wide. Over the years, she was invited to perform at concerts world-wide, including Japan, Austria, France, Singapore, Scotland, Ireland, England, Germany, America.

Cui Junzhi has received numerous awards, including the Excellent Performance Prize from the Chinese Ministry of Culture, a performance medal from UNESCO, the title of Prized Honorable Artist from the first US International Harp Competition "Xian Fei Bamboo" from the National Music Competition in China, the first prize in the World Broadcasting Competition in Japan, and Special Award for her performance of "Going up the River" at the Qing Ming Festival in Australia.