National Chinese Language Conference
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Special Performances

Eric Shepherd
Chinese storyteller (Shandong Shuoshu)
Assitant Professor, Chinese Studies, Iowa State University

Eric Shepherd is an Assistant Professor of Chinese Studies at Iowa State University. He is the Co-Director of the East Asian Studies Program and Coordinator of the Chinese Language program at ISU. He specializes in the areas of Chinese language pedagogy and Chinese folklore. His research focuses on performance, narrative, and cultural interaction as well as their applications in language pedagogy. He is the author of Eat Shandong: From Personal Experience to a Pedagogy of a Second Culture (Ohio State University Foreign Language Publications, 2005) and has been trained as an apprentice Shandong fast tale performer by master storyteller Wu Yanguo.

Bo Li
Cellist
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

Bo Li is an accomplished cellist who has established a versatile career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player and teacher. A native of China, Bo Li began his formal training at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music. Later he was accepted to the prestigious Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 1985, he won the second prize at the National Cello Competition in Beijing. At the age of 17 he made his solo debut with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. The performance was highly acclaimed by critics and audiences. This success allowed him to launch his solo career. Since then, he has played with many leading orchestras in China.

Cited as an “eloquent soloist” by critics, and as an active chamber musician, Bo Li performed numerous concerts in the U.S, Europe, Far East and South America. He has collaborated with Pamela Frank, Jon Kimura Parker, members from many world-class ensembles such as Muir Quartet and Shanghai Quartet.

Among the numerous awards he received, Bo Li was a prizewinner at the 9th Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow and a recipient of “Outstanding Achievement Award” presented by the Chinese Cultural Department.

Mr. Li holds degrees from the New England Conservatory in Boston, where he studied with Colin Carr and Laurence Lesser, and Illinois State University, where he studied with Ko Iwasaki. Currently he is a cellist with the Baltimore Symphony.

Kuei-I Wu
Pianist
Faculty, Frederic Community College

Kuei-I Wu, began winning national prizes at the age of nine, is one of the most celebrated pianists from Taiwan. She attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music with full scholarship upon immigrating to the United States, received her Master of Music from Peabody Institute where she was employed as accompanying assistant with full scholarship, and received her Doctoral of Musical Arts from the University of Maryland at College Park. Ms. Wu has played as solo artist and chamber musician at numerous festivals in Taiwan, Spain, Salzburg Austria and here in the US. Her major performances includes Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2 at Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, Mozart the “Coronation” Piano Concerto in Taipei Taiwan and Solo performances in Netherlands Embassy in Washington D.C.. Ms. Wu is also the guest performing artist of Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Washington D.C.. Ms. Wu currently serves as piano faculty at Frederic Community College.