Conductors Liu Mingdi, Lyu Jianxin

Liu Mingdi
Graduated from Capital Normal University with a Master’s degree in Education, majoring in Music Curriculum and Teaching Theory. Member of the China Choral Association and the Piano Basic Education Branch of the Beijing Musicians Association. Artistic Director and Conductor of Angel Children’s Choir. In 2011, he was admitted to the Music Education major at Capital Normal University with the highest score. He actively participated in the school choir, winning first prize in national competitions and holding vocal and piano concerts. He earned first-class and national-level scholarships for two consecutive years. In 2015, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Musicology from Capital Normal University, was named Outstanding Graduate of Beijing, and was directly admitted to the Master’s program. Since 2015, he has been the piano artistic director for major performances at prominent venues in Beijing. Since 2016, he has been an expert for the Golden Sail Choir at Beijing Zhanlan Road No. 1 Elementary School and taught Chinese Traditional Music Education at the Conservatory of Music, China in 2016-2017. In 2017, he studied at Soka University of America and published a paper on elementary music education. In 2021, he participated in various high-profile events, including the Beijing TV Spring Festival Gala, CCTV Music Channel’s “Global Chinese Music Billboard,” and the Shanghai International Film Festival. In 2022, he continued to engage in major performances, including the Beijing Winter Olympics torch relay and the Beijing International Film Festival.In 2023, he worked on significant projects such as the New Year Symphony Concert at the Beijing Poly Theatre and theme songs for the Asian Games and World Internet Conference. In 2024, he was responsible for the children’s chorus recording of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ at the Beijing International Film Festival closing ceremony.

Lyu Jianxin
Full-time:chorus master
Senior Teachers in Beijing. Former Beijing Music Discipline Municipal Level Backbone Teacher.Former leader of music discipline in Chaoyang District,Beijing.Former Teacher Title Evaluation Expert in Chaoyang District,Beijing.Former judge of teaching basic skills assessment for music teachers in Chaoyang District, Beijing.Student of Beijing 2019 Primary School Music Special Teacher Studio.Teacher Qualification Certification for Choral Conductors at the Central Conservatory of Music.Deputy Director of the Choral Conduction Professional Committee of the Chinese Ethnic Vocal Society. Member of the Harmonica Professional Guidance Committee of the National Working Committee of the Art Talent Pool of the Ministry of Culture of China.Member of China Choir Association. Member of Beijing Musicians Association. Member of the World Youth Choral Artists Association. Serving as the artistic director, artistic director, and conductor of numerous children’s choirs in primary and secondary schools in Beijing, as well as mixed choirs in enterprises and institutions.Has won international, Chinese, Beijing, and various regional gold and silver awards, as well as excellent command awards.Original and adapted choir works: “The brightest star in the night sky” “The Song of Life” “Velvet flower” “Que Sera Sera” “Up! juvenile” “Only dad is good in the world” “The place where I stand is China” “Flowers bloom and forget worries” “Remembering” “The melody of the heart” “fly” “Towards the Cloud” “Stardust” “Big Dream” “Dreams of cooling off under the Hexia River” and so on.

Beijing Angel Choir
Since our founding in 2011, Angel Children’s Choir has become one of the most renowned art education organizations in China. We are proud to be the world’s first choir team to integrate art education with moral education, by using unique educational concepts and artistic practices that have garnered widespread recognition internationally. Currently, the choir comprises 42 groups with a total of 2,000 members, aged between 6 and 17 years. We seek teenagers and children with strong literary and artistic abilities, who undergo a series of assessments and selections to join our team. In 2021, Angel Children’s Choir achieved a milestone in China by being certified as “The largest children’s choir in China”. Since our establishment, our young members have been lauded by society for their professionalism and vocal talent. We collaborate with several leading media corporations in China, including CCTV, People’s Daily Online, and Beijing TV, among others. Our capabilities have been acknowledged by national leaders and ministries such as the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the National Health Commission. As a result, we have established partnerships with renowned international and domestic brands and public welfare organizations. Our choir regularly participates in national celebrations and performances, consistently recognized as an outstanding professional children’s choir by society.

Conductor He Xiaomei

He Xiaomei, female, is a vocal music instructor. She has been focusing on choral work for many years and has rich experience in singing and guidance. She has participated in many domestic and international choral competitions and exchanges, and has achieved good results. In 2018, she traveled to the Golden Hall in Vienna, Austria, to participate in a choral competition and won the International Exchange Gold Award. In 2019, she participated in the 6th International Choral Festival in Singapore and won the Silver Award in both Group A and Group F. The choir is a highly influential and excellent choir in the region

Conductor Tommaso Nannucci

Composer, Musician, Theatre performer and performer has been a member of numerous choral realities such as the Fuori dal Coro of the Associazione Piccolo Coro Melograno and the choir Broadway Shots. Graduated from the Liceo Classico-Musicale Dante in Florence in Piano and Flute Traverso, he developed an excellent theoretical-practical knowledge of cultured and contemporary music. He holds a bachelor’s degree at DAMS - Discipline of Arts, Music and Entertainment in Bologna where he has developed musicologist and pedagogical-educational knowledge in the field of music and theater. He has consolidated experiences in choral direction and vocal technique, he interprets, directs and organizes shows for cultural associations in the area such as the Compagnia dei Girafiabe. Since 2019 he has taught singing, musical literacy and acting as part of the activities organized by the Amateur Sports Association Amici del Musical based in Colle di Val d’Elsa. He works as an educational collaborator and educator in numerous schools in the Florentine and Sestese territory, where he proposes projects and laboratories of propedeutical and musical practice. He works as a teacher of musical theory and solfeggio at the Scuola di Musica B. Bartoletti of Sesto Fiorentino. He has performed numerous activities as an instrumentalist at musical institutes and academies: G. Rossini Conservatory in Bologna, and at the Scuola di Musica of Fiesole on the occasion of the “Festival della Musica”. He obtained a second level academic degree at the F. Venezze Conservatory in Rovigo in Composition for music applied to images and Sound Design with a grade of 110 and honors. He is a composer, author and arranger of pop music, incidental music and film music.

GIRAFIABE Cultural Association was born in 2018 from a passion for music and theater and the desire to be an active and dynamic part of our community. We are a heterogeneous group of young talents who have built our own identity starting from "Fiaba" a little theatre in the small part of Florence called Isolotto: where many of us have roots since childhood, while others have joined out of passion, word of mouth or just the desire to spend an evening with friends. Over the years we have self produced musicals, theatrical shows, concerts in collaboration with some Tuscan municipalities and educational artistic activities for schools of out community.

Filippo Ciampi is a guitar player from Prato. After studying jazz saxophone, pop rock drums and bass guitar as a kid, he discovered the guitar at 11yo. Over the last 20 years he has played in many different contexts, spanning from the Pistoia Blues Festival to the “Orchestra Metropolitana di Firenze” and jazz orchestra Swing Mood, among other productions. His debut single as a solo fingerstyle artist “Insomnia” was distributed by Universal Music Inc. in 2018 and produced by Claudio Fabi. He is now returning to his early passion of jazz music with contaminations from other instruments and styles and with a deep component of improvisation with his band mates Matteo Fagioli and Dario Lastrucci. Matteo is a saxophone talent born in ’99. Graduated with best grades at Siena Jazz, he’s now attending Conservatorio Santa Cecilia with Mo Rosario Giuliani. He was first alto in Roberto Spadoni’s Big Band and has played in many festivals like Serravalle Jazz (opening act for Gianluca Petrella and Andy Sheppard), Fare Music Festival, Barga Jazz and many others. As a multi instrumentalist, composer and arranger, Dario has had a polyhedric background both in classical and modern music. He focused on the electric bass getting a master degree at the Lizard Academy in Florence and collaborating with many projects ranging from rock to folk to black music. He is currently studying jazz electric bass at Florence conservatory of music Luigi Cherubini.

Conductor Chen Mengheng

Meng-Heng Chen, Associate Professor of Department of Music in National Tsinghua University, Taiwan. Doctor of Musical Arts in Recorder Performance. Master of Conducting in Orchestra. Music Director of Hsinchu Recorder Orchestra and Orient Baroque Ensemble. Performances and teaching are all over Israel, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, China, South Korea, Japan, the United States etc.

Rooted in Taiwan.
Established in 2000, the Fushan Elementary School Recorder Orchestra from Kaohsiung, Taiwan, has flourished with the strong support of the school and the collaboration between parents and teachers. Embracing a spirit of diligence and perseverance, we actively participate in competitions and various performances. Our young musicians have showcased their talents on prestigious stages such as the Kaohsiung Cultural Center, Lotus Lake, and the Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts.
Looking to the World.
The Fushan Elementary School Recorder Orchestra proudly brings our students to the international stage with their recorders. We have achieved first place in the under-18 category at the Tel Aviv Music Festival Recorder Competition in Israel, won the Silver Award in the ensemble category at the All Japan Recorder Competition, and secured first place at the 2023 ORDA International Recorder Competition in the Netherlands. Constantly challenging ourselves and striving for excellence, we continue to pursue our passion for the recorder, advancing towards our ideals and vision.

Leader Francesco Bottai

Mo Machine were founded by Francesco Bottai Class 1969 has started playing guitar in his home town Grosseto before moving to Florence. He has shared the stage with Irene Grandi and Stefano Bollani before forming his band Strange Fruit. In 1993 Strange Fruit released their debut album and toured all over Italy. In 1999 both Francesco and his brother Cristiano were invited to join Articolo31. Francesco contributed as songwriter to two of their major hits: “La Mia Ragazza Mena” and “L’Italiano Medio”. He is currently playing with Norge, the Led Zeppelin tribute band, his band La Macchina Ossuta and the progressive band Seldon. In this occasion the group is formed by Francesco Bottai Electric Guitar, Marco Baroncini Vocals and Keyboard, Eugenio Nardelli Percussions

Conductor Letizia Dei

Is an Italian singer. She is degree in Art History in Florence, she started to study music at an early age at the music school of Fiesole. Later she attended singing classes with Marta Taddei at the Music Conservatory of Luigi Cherubini, graduating with honours in 2004. After her diploma, she specialized in opera repertoire with Bruno Rigacci and Alessandra Althoff Pugliese. She then attended the masterclasses of Mozarteum in Salzburgand the Academy of High Specialization Cà Zenobio in Treviso. She also attended the Maggio Formazione and the Cantiere Lirico Verista in Livorno. Cherubino, Zerlina and Dorabella of the Mozart Da Ponte Trilogy are some of the roles she has played. Also Leoncavallo’s Nedda da Pagliacci and Nella in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. She took part in two World Premieres at the International Opera Theatre of Philadelphia. His discography includes projects on Gershwin, Britten, and hymns and spirituals of the African American tradition. She has been invited by Handing University of Searcy, Arkansas, to hold concerts in the USA and England. Letizia has always been interested in the crossover repertoire. For the past fifteen years, she has been the choirmaster of the Light Gospel Choir in Florence.
With the Light gospel Choir she was the protagonist of many very popular events in the city of Florence and Tuscany. Recently she is also director of Soulvation Gospel Choir

RAISE HEARTS GOSPEL PROJECT
All the great energy of gospel in this new ensemble suggested by Letizia Dei, who is engaged in since quite a time in the study and performance of this musical genre. Four female voices expert’s in the repertoire and vocal music with the only piano accompaniment able to take the audience to the classical and old school repertoire. The quintet’s recent debut took place on the stage of the Cartiere Carrara theater in Florence in May this year earning both critical and public success.The voices are Lucilla Fossi, Letizia Dei, Yrja Cecilia Haglund, Hortensia Teran.

Conductor Letizia Dei

Is an Italian singer. She is degree in Art History in Florence, she started to study music at an early age at the music school of Fiesole. Later she attended singing classes with Marta Taddei at the Music Conservatory of Luigi Cherubini, graduating with honours in 2004. After her diploma, she specialized in opera repertoire with Bruno Rigacci and Alessandra Althoff Pugliese. She then attended the masterclasses of Mozarteum in Salzburgand the Academy of High Specialization Cà Zenobio in Treviso. She also attended the Maggio Formazione and the Cantiere Lirico Verista in Livorno. Cherubino, Zerlina and Dorabella of the Mozart Da Ponte Trilogy are some of the roles she has played. Also Leoncavallo’s Nedda da Pagliacci and Nella in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. She took part in two World Premieres at the International Opera Theatre of Philadelphia. His discography includes projects on Gershwin, Britten, and hymns and spirituals of the African American tradition. She has been invited by Handing University of Searcy, Arkansas, to hold concerts in the USA and England. Letizia has always been interested in the crossover repertoire. For the past fifteen years, she has been the choirmaster of the Light Gospel Choir in Florence.
With the Light gospel Choir she was the protagonist of many very popular events in the city of Florence and Tuscany. Recently she is also director of Soulvation Gospel Choir

SOULVATION GOSPEL CHOIR
The Soulvation Gospel Choir was formed in March 2023 within the “Blue Note” music school of Campi Bisenzio (FI).
Accompanied on the piano by maestro Giovanni Benini and conducted by Letizia Dei, it is made up of about thirty members, divided into three sections: soprano, contralto and tenor.
Despite its recent formation, the Soulvation Gospel Choir has already started several collaborations in the Florentine area, with a number of arranged performances that will take place by the end of the year.