BIO

QiQi (pronounced Kay-Kay) is a Melbourne/Naarm-based Chinese-Australian guzheng artist, composer and multi-instrumentalist. Performing across guzheng, double bass and percussion, they bring Chinese musical traditions into conversation with jazz improvisation, Western classical training and contemporary composition, creating performances full of curiosity, movement and surprise.

The guzheng, a 21-string Chinese zither, is at the heart of QiQi's work. In their hands, its strings can be delicate and expressive one moment, rhythmic and exhilarating the next. Their experience on double bass brings an orchestral musician's ear and an improviser's instinct to music shaped by storytelling, collaboration and connection with audiences.

QiQi's original works include Elysian Blues, a playful meeting of guzheng and jazz, and Echoes of the Earth, an immersive concert exploring humanity's changing relationship with the natural world. Combining original music, live improvisation, projection and lighting, Echoes of the Earth invites audiences to make collective choices that shape the direction of the performance. Their work ranges from intimate concerts and cross-cultural collaborations to multidisciplinary productions for festivals, museums and performing arts venues.

QiQi's music can be heard on the Elysian Blues live album, while their guzheng recordings are featured in House of Loong, a permanent exhibition at Bendigo's Golden Dragon Museum. Their debut solo album, Tidal, is due for release in 2027.

QiQi has performed at venues across Australia, including Melbourne Recital Centre, the National Gallery of Victoria, Hamer Hall, Melbourne Museum, Bunjil Place and Hawthorn Arts Centre. Elysian Blues has received multiple Melbourne Fringe award nominations, with Elysian Blues II receiving a Judges' Pick in 2025. In 2026, QiQi won the Creative & Performing Arts Award at the Multicultural Youth Awards, recognising their contribution to the arts.

Collaboration is central to QiQi's practice. They have co-composed with Ngā Mātai Pūrua, bringing guzheng into dialogue with Māori song, arranged guzheng parts for Me-Lee Hay's ballet GOLD, and contributed to commissioned works across music, dance and theatre. They have also performed alongside lion and dragon troupes, dance groups and orchestras, sharing their music through community celebrations, cultural programs and participatory experiences.

As a double bassist, QiQi has performed with the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra. They are also Co-Chair of the Australian Youth Orchestra Youth Advisory Council, advocating for young artists and contributing to conversations about the future of music.

Whether sharing a solo guzheng performance or bringing a larger work to the stage, QiQi invites audiences to listen closely, take part and discover where the music might go.

© 2025 qiqimusic.com.au