Li Jiana's musical journey is an artistic exploration, and it crosses cultures and borders. Li, currently residing in the United States, uses singing as a medium, with which she tells China's stories — and conveys Chinese emotions.

Musical Dream

Li was born in Hengyang, a city in central China's Hunan Province. Her mother was a Huaguxi (literally meaning Flower-Drum Opera) performer. Influenced by her family, Li began to display her artistic talent as a child. She began performing on stage at the age of 4. 

Her parents bought a piano when Li was 7. During the following 10-plus years, Li and her younger sister shuttled between Hengyang and Changsha, capital of Hunan, on Sundays, so they could receive formal lessons from a piano teacher. At that time, Li and her sister got up around 4 a.m. each Sunday, arrived at their teacher's home around noon, finished their classes, about 9 p.m., and returned home around midnight. 

Li, who has always had a dream of music in her heart, says her eagerness to learn always triumphed over the hardships she encountered along the way. 

Li in 1997 was admitted to China Conservatory of Music, in Beijing, where she studied vocal music under two prestigious teachers, Wang Sufen and Zou Wenqin. 

She spent almost all of her free time playing piano and singing folk songs. She also won prizes for her outstanding performances during several music competitions. 

In 1999, during the National Pearl River Piano Competition, Li read more than 30 volumes of professional publications, and she rehearsed more than 50 piano pieces. 

"As an award winner, in several music contests, I was once invited to perform the song, Joy of Torch Festival, in Xinghai Concert Hall, in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province. The music, and my singing, echoed through the hall. It was one of my happiest moments," Li recalls. 

In 2001, Li won second prize, in the ethnic songs category, during a TV contest involving outstanding singers.

In 2001, after she graduated from China Conservatory of Music, Li passed several rounds of tests to become the first singer to sign with CCTV (China Central Television) Center for the Performing Arts. 

To mark the launch of Shenzhou-5, China's first manned spacecraft, on October 15, 2003, Li sang Ode to Shenzhou. Her performance was broadcast on CCTV-3 the day of the launch. 

In September 2008, the China Manned Space Engineering Office began soliciting artistic works to be displayed on the Shenzhou-7 spacecraft. Ode to Shenzhou stood out among the more than 20,000 submissions, and it was the only music video broadcast on Shenzhou-7. 

"It is the honor of a lifetime to have my song broadcast on our country's spacecraft. I feel proud of my country's brilliant achievements. No matter where I go, this honor will always inspire me to keep marching forward," Li says.

Further Education

In 2009, Li moved to the US, to begin further education in vocal music art. While in San Francisco, she claimed first prize, during the overseas-qualification trials, in the Chinese Revolutionary Songs Contest. The competition was organized by China's Jiangxi Satellite TV. 

Nearly two months later, Florence Fang, a leader of San Francisco's overseas Chinese community, returned to China, to cheer for Li, when Li competed in the final round of the Chinese Revolutionary Songs Contest, in Nanchang, in east China's Jiangxi Province. 

More than 10 representatives of the overseas Chinese community (in the US) went to Nanchang with Fang. They joined Li in the performance of her song, My Homeland. 

"Overseas Chinese are deeply touched that our country is taking on a new look, with its rapid development. Nothing can replace our strong sense of belonging and identity. We always put our homeland in our hearts, no matter how far we go," Li says. 

Li, a winner of the Golden Voice international vocal competition, was invited to sing a Chinese folk song, My Sister Getting Married, during the competition's 2011 awards ceremony. The event was held in New York's Carnegie Music Hall. Li's performance drew loud applause. 

During her visit to New York, Li toured Juilliard School and Lincoln Center, among other world-class art halls. Seeing those facilities left a deep impression on her, expanded her horizons and planted the seed of hope in her heart. "At that time, I hoped I would have the opportunity to perform at the Lincoln Center," Li recalls. 

In 2022, Li was admitted to Midwestern University's School of Music, to begin working toward a master's degree in vocal music art. 

To enhance her performance and singing skills, she registered for several courses, including Italian opera, ancient Chinese poetry and melodies, Chinese arts and music, Chinese opera, and German and Austrian arts and music. 

Under the firm guidance of her tutor, Professor Lu Huijuan, and with her hardworking spirit, Li has made great headway in her all-round development. "Professor Lu has tapped my potential, especially in terms of expression, and she has helped me reach a new level of singing," Li says. 

International Stage

Li grasps every opportunity to perform Chinese folk music in the US. She knows it is not only a performance, but also an exchange of cultures, which promotes mutual understanding and brings hearts closer together. 

At the invitation of Wall Street Satellite TV and the World Council of Peoples for the United Nations (WCPUN), Li sang during My Chinese Heart (the Spring Festival gala), on Broadway, in New York, in February 2023. 

In May that year, Li, dressed in the traditional costume of China's ethnic Miao people, performed during The Sound of Spring (a concert) at the Lincoln Center. She received a warm response from the audience. After the concert, Sherrill Kazan, president of WCPUN, praised Li for her extraordinary performance. 

For Li, performing at the Lincoln Center was not only the realization of her long-held dream, but also an opportunity for her to showcase Chinese folk music to a global audience. In September 2023, Li was invited to perform during a gala event in San Francisco. "Music is not only an art form, but also a language ... I hope every performance of mine will help the audience feel the unique charm of Chinese folk music," Li says. 

At present, Li is pursuing a Ph.D. in vocal music arts. Li hopes to have more opportunities to sing Chinese folk songs on the international stage, and especially to be an advocate of cultural exchanges. "I will continue to innovate in folk music singing, and to improve my pursuit of art. I believe music knows no borders. It has always been my dream to sing Chinese folk songs on the world stage," says Li. 

Photos from Interviewee

Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition

(Women of China English Monthly February 2025)

Editor: Wang Shasha