Cheng-Ying Chuang - Countertenor/Chinese lutenist. Taiwanese Cheng-Ying Chuang is a musician in both Chinese and Western classical music. The fact that he has won numerous awards in both Classical voice and Chinese lute music in both East and Western makes him hard to be defined. He was awarded BS in Horticulture from National Taiwan University in 1997, Master of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania in 2003, and Master of Vocal Music Performance from Birmingham Conservatoire in 2007. The major music awards he won are the 1st prizes of Taiwan Music Competition of Liuqin solo in 1991 and of Chinese Orchestra in 1996 conducting the National Taiwan University Chinese Orchestra, winner in Taipei Philharmonic Foundation’s the 4th Voice Competition 2004, the 2nd prize in Cecil Drew Oratorio Prize 2006 at Birmingham Conservatoire, and the New Star 2008 in the National Concert Hall in Taiwan.Owing to his background in science, art, landscape, architecture, and music, he performs music not only with the refined Chinese/Western classical music elements but also with the opened mind and historical knowledge towards world cultures in order to communicate with world audience of diverse backgrounds. Currently residing in London, he plays/sings as a soloist, with his group Musitonik Ensemble, or with diverse world musicians/music groups/performing artists in the UK and Taiwan. He worked with artists of different styles, which include Jazz, Chinese folk/classical, Beijing Opera, Scottish folk, Indian Light Classical (singer and tabla player), British Pop, Electronics, Jewish folk, Western Early and Classical Music. The artists in other art forms he has worked with include Indian Kathah dancer, Chinese folk dancer, Contemporary/ballet dancer, animator, film maker…etc. He is a member of London Symphony Chorus and Crouch End Festival Chorus. Future project includes “Piccadilly Revisited”, a silent film which will be recreated on music with Western classical/opera, Chinese folk/classical, and Western Pop features in the Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House in March 2010; a solo recital in Asian Music Circuit, London in May 2010.The music groups/ musicians he works with include: Scottish Philharmonic Orchestra, Asian Music Circuit in London, Taipei Philharmonic Chorus/Youth Orchestra, London Chamber Music Company and its director Mark Troop, Edinburgh iMAP Ensemble (Intercultural Music and Arts Projects) and its artistic director/composer Kimho Ip, Glasgow Harmony Ensemble and its director/composer Eddie McGuire, Blur singer Damon Albarn, South African violinist Willem Mathlener, composer Mark Lockett, Indian light classical singer Sanchita Pal, guitarist Liz Larner, organist Sam Austin, London Symphony Chorus, Crouch End Festival Chorus, Silk String Quartet, Silk & Bamboo Ensemble…etc.The venues and festivals he performed recently include: Roundhouse in London, Barbican Centre, Taiwanese National Concert Hall, The Forge in London, British Museum, British National Portrait Gallery, Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, National Museum of Scotland, The Confucius Institute for Scotland,  Edinburgh Mela Fesitval, Glasgow Oran Mor, Bielefeld University in Germany, Recital Hall in Birmingham, Birmingham IKON Gallery, Birmingham ArtsFest, St Martin in the Bullring, Birmingham Cathedral, Buxton Festival, Gwyl Pontardawe Festival…etc.