Hui (Daisy) You is a distinguished Zheng (Gu-zheng, Chinese Zither) soloist and an acclaimed Chinese music educator. Since 2004, she has been on the faculty of the Department of Music at Stanford University. She lectures Gu-zheng courses of all levels and artistic director and conductor the Stanford Gu-zheng Ensemble and Stanford Chinese Music Ensemble which she founded in 2004. Since 2022, she has been on the faculty of the Department of Music at UC Berkeley lecturing in Guzheng course. She currently CEO and Board of Directors of the Stanford Baipu Chinese Music Group.
From 1978 to 1983, You studied Zheng at the Secondary School affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory. She then furthered her study in Zheng and Chinese music at the Shanghai Conservatory, where she studied rigorously under Baoquan. He and Wenyan Sun, the two Zheng masters in the school of Nan-Bei (South-North). She also received training from Zheng masters of other important schools, including Zheng Cao, Ying Guo, Boling Ding, Yanjia Zhou and Yuzhai Zhao. In 1987, You graduated summa cum laude with a BA degree in Zheng.
You joined Shanghai Opera as a Zheng soloist upon commencement. While in China, You has won many prestigious awards in Zheng. Among them are First Place in the Shanghai Spring Music Festival in 1986 and Awards of Excellence in both the Chinese Instruments Contest held in Beijing in 1989 and the Zheng contest sponsored by Chinese Central TV Station. She released several popular solo albums featuring traditional and modern pieces like “Xiang Shan She Gu (Temple Bells at Mount Fragrance)”, “Gao Shan Liu Shui (High Mountains and Flowing Brooks)”, “Zhan Tai Feng (Fight Against the Hurricane)”.
Since her immigration to the U.S. in 1991, You continued to be an active and popular Zheng soloist. She performed in the annual “Bridge and Gate” show in the San Francisco Bay Area. She joined the China Cultural Goodwill Tour of the Hunan Arts Group and played at the Majestic Theater in Dallas, Texas. She has also appeared as a soloist in the Ohlone Symphonic Pops Orchestra, the New Music Works, the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, and the San Francisco World Music Festival. Drawing upon her mosaic of backgrounds, You is an expert in Zheng fusion composure, creatively incorporating music elements from different cultures into this classic Chinese music instrument. Her unique and daring style brings a whimsical fresh breeze to Zheng and attracts a global audience.
In addition to performances, You dedicates most of her time to teaching students. Many of her students are rising Zheng stars. Some of them have had successful performances with the North American Elite Youth Orchestra and received many domestic and international awards. You is also an enthusiastic advocate for Chinese traditional music in general. Apart from teaching at Stanford, she holds workshops and seminars around the world to promote Zheng and Chinese music to the general public.