Studio Ghibli & the Music of Joe Hisaishi

Jennifer Tzeng has over 36 years of violin experience and has dedicated her life to both performing and teaching. She began her orchestral training at age seven as the youngest member of the Contra Costa Chamber Orchestra and received coaching from top-tier musicians of the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Daedalus String Quartet, and Alexander String Quartet. She later served as concertmaster of the Mill Valley Philharmonic and the Palo Alto Philharmonic.

In addition to her classical performances, Jennifer is highly sought after for her original compositions, which she performs on her electric violins. She has performed throughout California, New York, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.

Jennifer founded Tzeng Violin Studio in 2010. For the past 16 years, she has inspired students of all ages to develop strong technical skills, confidence, and find their own artistic voice. Her students have gone on to perform with prestigious youth orchestras and have continued their education at institutions including Columbia University, Georgetown University, Brown University, UC Berkeley, and the Colburn School. In addition to her private studio, Jennifer previously served as Director of the Junior Strings Division for the Saratoga Unified School District.

Jennifer believes every student has the potential to thrive with the right balance of encouragement, discipline, and inspiration. She is passionate about helping GG Youth Academy musicians build not only exceptional violin skills but also confidence, creativity, and a lasting appreciation for music.

Lavinia Chen is a professional violinist and respected music educator. While actively teaching at her well-established violin studio in Mountain View and hosting two formal student recitals each year, she also serves as a music coach at leading institutions across the Bay Area—including The Harker School (K–12), Community School of Music and Arts, and the Sunnyvale Youth Philharmonic. In addition, she conducted string orchestra programs at nine public schools each week, providing comprehensive music instruction across the entire Mountain View Whisman School District. Lavinia holds a Master's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and graduated from UCLA on a full scholarship.

Lavinia was appointed concertmaster for the San Gabriel Valley Symphony Orchestra's inaugural concerts. She also enjoyed her work with the San Francisco Symphony, where she designed and performed hundreds of educational music shows that reached over 20,000 students. Now, she is dedicated to bringing her expertise and passion for music, education, and performance to the GG Orchestra. Recognized for her cheerful spirit and mature teaching style, Lavinia's musical talents have been celebrated on stages across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Asia.

Dr. Yifan Tang (Aubrey) is an accomplished violinist, violist, and educator with over a decade of teaching and performance experience. She has served as an active violin/viola instructor with “Music Land School of Music” and “Music In the School Foundation” since 2023 and has taught at the San Francisco High School of Arts since Spring 2025. Her academic background includes a Doctor of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from Texas Tech University, a Master of Music from California State University, Northridge, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Shanghai Normal University.

Recognized for her dedication to music and education, Dr. Tang received the Independent Artist ARPA Grant from the Lubbock Cultural Arts Foundation and was named one of the 2018 Top 10 California Contributors to Education.