FRANCINE DI ~ KEYBOARD 狄子枫 ~ 电钢琴

 

 

Francine Di began formal piano studies at age 12 and within just two years was accepted to Houston’s prestigious High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She went on to receive a BM in piano performance and a BA in English from Rice University before moving briefly to Florida. Between teaching, part-time writing, and performing with jazz bands and Jacaré Brazil, she earned her master's in piano performance from the University of Florida under the tutelege of Boaz Sharon. A once unprofessed singer, Di also placed within the top three finalists in various singing competitions, most recently placing 1st in the Double Ten Idol (雙十卡拉OK歌唱比賽), 2nd in "Texas: The Voice" (德州最强音), and 3rd in the "Voice of the Southern Daily News" (美南好聲音).

 

Today, this native Houstonian is back in her hometown. In 2013, Francine received a Houston Arts Alliance grant to present the Eastern Echo fusion concert. When she’s not pulling shifts as a technical writer and piano teacher, she’s on stage with the Rice University Jazz Band, the Cory Wilson Jazz Collective and others. A board member of the Rice University Community of Asian Alumni, Di has also been active in Voices Breaking Boundaries, Asian American Ambassadors, the Chinese American Citizens Alliance and the Organization of Chinese Americans. In 2007, her biography was published in Who's Who of America. A former Miss Chinatown Houston, Di has also authored an essay published in Asian American X by the University of Michigan Press.

 

狄子枫从12岁开始正规的钢琴训练，并在两年之后被休斯敦著名的高中录取学习表演和视觉艺术。之后她 从莱斯大学获得钢琴表演和英语双学士学位并在此之后赴佛罗里达大学继续攻读钢琴表演硕士学位。同时狄子枫也 积极从事钢琴教育辅导，兼职写作， 以及与爵士乐队和巴西雅卡雷特色歌舞乐队一起表演。在佛罗里达大学，狄子枫在著名钢琴大师博阿兹、沙朗的指点之下钢琴技艺突飞猛进、并顺利获得学位。作为一名业余歌手，狄还曾在华夏杯卡拉OK大赛、中国国际歌唱新秀才艺大赛、以及休斯敦业余歌唱比赛中进入前三名，并且在德州和佛州的许多演出中一展歌喉。

今天，这位地地道道的休斯敦人回到了她的故乡。在从事技术写作和教授钢琴课程之余，她也与莱斯大学爵士乐队，科瑞、威尔逊乐团， 以及其它音乐团体一起同台献艺。狄同时也积极参与Voices Breaking Boundaries， 亚美大使组织、美洲同源总会等美籍华人组织的活动。2007年，狄子枫的人物介绍在美洲名人录上登载。作为一名前休斯敦中国城小姐，狄子枫还曾在密歇根大学出版社出版的Asian American X杂志上发表文章。