Yang Yi, "The world renowned guzheng (21-string zither) soloist, (whose) performance was extraordinarily fantastic, intensive and passionate." (West German News) ; and "fascinating, surprising and extraordinarily beautiful" (New York Times) . "She really sets the instrument on fire" (Daily Record, NJ) . A winner of the 1989 International Chinese Instruments Competition and many other Chinese domestic awards, Yang Yi is a highly appreciated guzheng virtuoso, distinguished guzheng educator and frequent lecturer both in China and in the USA. She's also a roster artist of the New Jersey State Council of Arts' Arts-in-Education program.

Born in Nanjing, China, Yang Yi started her professional musical training and performing life after when she was selected by China's the most famous Nanjing Little Red Star Children's Performing Arts Group, the only professional Children's Music group in China by then. Yang Yi had been teaching the guzheng major at the prestigious China Conservatory of music, where she graduated from, under the world famous guzheng master Qiu Da Cheng, and also served as a guzheng soloist for the China National Union Performing Arts Group before coming the US. She had also appeared as a guest soloist with almost all of the best Chinese Music Groups such as Chinese National Orchestra, China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra, China National Song & Dance Ensemble, China National Opera House, and Beijing Song & Dance Ensemble.

Appeared in concerts as soloist, Yang Yi has toured extensively throughout Asia, Europe and the U.S., including those prestigious concert halls at Royal Albert Hall (UK), Historische Stadthalle Wuppertal (Germany), Carnegie Hall (NY), Lincoln Center (NY), Anhaltisches Theater Dessau (Germany), 92nd Street Y.(NY), Freer Gallery of Art (D.C.), Richardson Auditorium (NJ), Merkin Concert Hall, (NY), the State Theatre in New Jersey, and many more. Yang Yi has also advanced the art of tradition with inspired new compositions. She has world premiered many new composition works by today's renowed ocmposers, such as the premiere of famous German Composer Lutz-Werner Hesse's "Sky and Earth" concerto for zheng and orchestra at Historic Stadthalle Wuppertal in Germany; Lee Tzyy-sheng's "Reversing" Concertino for zheng and String Orchestra at Taipei Theater (NYC), Chen Yi (the most prestigious Charles Ives Living Award winner)'s "Song in the Winter" and "As in a Dream" at Carnegie Hall; Tan Dun (Grawemeyer, Grammy and Academy Award winner) 's "CAGE" and Zhou QinRu's "Ancient Poem in Three Verses" on "BBC Proms 95" at Royal Albert Hall in London; Prof. Dong Kui (Dartmouth College Music Dept.)'s "Three Voice" at Merkin Hall, and etc.

Yang Yi is a respected teacher of many prize-winning guzheng students in both China and the US. Her exceptional teaching record not only designated numerous Distinguished Teacher by various competition commissions in China after many of her students received domestic and International competition awards (including three first prizes in 3 consecutive years), but also later made her to be the panel of judges at many music competitions. This experience also led to many of her successful US lecture / performance presentations, including those at Hunter College (NY), Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.(NJ), Univ. of Massachusetts (MA), The Settlement Music School (PA), Rutgers Univ. (NJ), Yale Univ. (CT), Cooper Union (NYC) , Princeton University (NJ), College of New Jersey (NJ), Warren County College (NJ), and etc..

In addition to a considerable discography to her credit, Yang Yi's guzheng music can be found in many movies / TV series, such as the well-known movie "Hong Lou Meng"(The Dream of the Red Mansion). She has been profiled in many music and music documentary programs on radio and TV stations, such as - Voice of America, BBC, China National Broadcasting Radio Station, Sino Vision of America, Sri Lanka National TV Station, Beijing Radio station, and dozens of regional radio stations throughout China.

She is the founder and the current music director at Eastern Culture & Performing Arts Center (ECPAC), the first non-profit professional Chinese Music Organization of its kind in New Jersey, is dedicated to delighting New Jersey residences with the highest caliber of Chinese music through its broad and diversified music performance and educational programs. They fulfill the multi-cultural music needs locally.