Dr. Mei Zhong is Associate Professor of Music Performance at Ball State University.  Dr. Zhong received her Doctor of Musical Arts (in Vocal Performance and Literature) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her Master of Fine Arts (in Vocal Performance and Practices) from the University of California at Los Angeles. She earned a Bachelor of Arts (in Piano Performance) from Hunan Teachers University and a diploma of voice for advanced study from Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Dr. Zhong previously taught at Idaho State University and Hunan Teachers University. Since 1999, she has served as an Honorary Professor and a Guest Professor at several universities in China.

Dr. Zhong has taught courses of Vocal Pedagogy, Vocal Literature, Vocal Music, Introduction to Piano and Stage Makeup.  At Ball State, Dr. Zhong teaches vocal music for doctoral, master and undergraduate students while serving on doctoral committees. Some of her students have placed in vocal competitions at National Association of Teachers of Singingat state and regional levels. Quite a few of her students have occupied teaching positions at different universities in the U.S. and China.  

As an opera singer and concert soloist, Dr.Zhong has performed extensively in both China and the United States. During her seven years as a career performer (opera singer and accordionist) at Henyang Baihua Theater (an Opera and Dance Theater) in China, she frequently performed in different cities as well as on local television and radio stations.  She has performed several lead roles in opera productions, such as her favorite roles as Butterfly in Madama Butterfly, Sister Angelica in Suor Angelica and Micaela in Carmen at Illinois Opera Theater, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.  In addition to performing as a soloist in the UCLA Choral and Symphony Orchestra production of Dvorak’s Te Deum, conducted by Donald Neuen, Zhong has performed in a television production for KSCI in Los Angeles and was one of the subjects of a documentary by the Chinese Central Documentary Film Company, Beijing. Zhong studied with John Wustman for four years and was a soloist in his highly acclaimed series, The Complete Songs of Schubert. Her numerous performances, solo recitals and concerts have taken her to Alabama, California, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Omaha, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.

Being an active teacher, singer and scholar, Zhong has given many master classes and lecture recitals at various institutions and conferences internationally. She has presented at the International Congress of Voice Teachers held in Canada (2005); the international conferences of College Music Society held in Spain (2005), Costa Rica (2003) and Ireland (2001); the National Conference of College Music Society held in San Francisco (2004); the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities in Honolulu (2003); the Seventh Annual Festival of Women Composers International in Pittsburgh (2004); the national conventions of National Association of Teachers of Singing held in Minneapolis (2006),  New Orleans (2004),  San Diego (2002) and Philadelphia (2000), and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association National Conference, Omaha (2006).  She premiered several new works at the Society of Composers, Inc. 2005 National Conference Information at the University of North Carolina. She recently present at three sessions of Diction and Repertoire for National Association of Teachers of Singing Winter Workshop held in California (2007), as one of four faculty members invited for the event. In the summer of 2007, she will premiere the song cycle of The Silvered Lute by Derek Healey with two other presentations at the College Music Society International Conference in Thailand and will give a presentation on the Development of Chinese Art Songs at CMS national conference in Salt Lake City in November of 2007.

Several of her articles have been published, including her research paper, "Problems of Tempo in Puccini's Arias," which appeared in Volume 40 of The College Music Symposium. Her eleven short dictionary articles for Vocal Music were included in the Teaching Encyclopedia for Chinese Middle and High Schools, a national publication in China. Zhong is the author of the book Tempo in the Soprano Arias of Puccini’s La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly (ISBN: 0-7734-7190-1). Her  Anthology of Chinese Songs-Volume I: Newly Arranged Chinese Folk Songs, (ISBN: 1-878617-64-8) as well as her singing recording were just published. Her publications have received good reviews from national journal, Singing Journal. Zhong is recently writing her new book Vocal Pedagogy, under a publishing contract while preparing the second volume of Chinese Songs in both of text book and recording.

Dr. Zhong has been the recipient of several awards and honors. She received first prize in the National Vocal Competition for The Alice Abel National Vocal and Instrumental Awards in 2000, after winning the Idaho District Vocal Competition in 2000 and 1999. As one of twelve teachers selected from United States, Zhong was awarded the fellowship for studying in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Intern Program held in Ithaca, NY, in 2000. Zhong received the Phi Beta Kappa Scholarship; Mimi Alert Feldman Scholarship (two years); Atwater Kent Award (two years); Edna and Yu Shanhan Scholarships (three years); Tzi-Chi Scholarship, and the University of Illinois Campus Dissertation Grant. In addition, Zhong was awarded an Idaho State University Faculty Research Grant and received the Artist Honor from Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. She was twice nominated for the Distinguished Researcher of the Year Award at Idaho State University, where, in 2002, she was honored with the Master Teacher award as one of five outstanding faculty members selected from across the Idaho State University campus. Recently, her proposals to Indiana Arts Commission, Ball State University Research Committee, Ball State University Creative Arts Committee and the Diversity Associates Program received funding.

Tempo in the Soprano Arias of Puccini’s La Bohème, Tosca, and Madama Butterfly

(ISBN: 0-7734-7190-1) is available at http://www.mellenpress.com/ and http://www.amazon.com/.

“The work is enormous in scope … nothing less than the first-ever attempt to reinterpret Puccini’s operas from the perspective of source and performance-practice research….Mei Zhong makes her start at the heart of Puccini’s operas, the arias for the soprano heroines of his most famous masterpieces. The results of research and insightful interpretation open a surprisingly new vista on what we all thought were thoroughly familiar works. This is not just for singers. Everyone who loves these operas will find Mei Zhong’s discussion fascinating and revealing.”   -- John Walter Hill

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“The major contribution of this work lies in the tight analysis it gives of certain Puccini arias and the differing interpretation of various singers, especially, but not exclusively, with regard to tempo. I particularly enjoyed the suggestions the author herself made concerning performance. This takes considerable bravery, which, however, seems justified by her impressive scholarship. Performers might do well to take these recommendations to heart. In pointing the way for such an in-depth examination of various arias, Ms. Zhong has performed a valuable service. An age of operatic deconstructionism needs frequent reminders that not everything is, or should be, up for grabs. Of particular value for the historian, musicologist, and opera lover are the comments made on how opera interpretation has changed over the years, with the greatest liberties taken, interestingly enough, in the years closest to the composer’s life.”  --W. Laird Kleine-Ahlbrandt

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“Over the past several decades, musicians have placed new emphasis upon historically accurate interpretations, not only of early music, but also of works that have remained in the repertory. Zhong’s careful research provides an excellent resource for the reexamination of the performance practices for these Puccini arias.”  -- Journal of Singing (2004)

Anthology of Chinese Songs, Volume. I: Newly Arranged Chinese Folk Songs

(ISBN:1-878617-64-8) and its companion recording are available via http://www.leyerlepublications.com/ or from quality music or book stores in the United States.

“Dr.Mei Zhong,…has begun an important musical contribution to the multicultural education that is so necessary in our increasingly intertwined and interdependent world. …For those interested in learning something about Chinese singing and performance tradition, this volume is a gold mine.”                   --Journal of Singing (2007)

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“With this publication of newly arranged Chinese folk songs, Dr. Mei Zhong makes an important contribution to the repertoire that is available to the twenty-first century singer.  During the final decade of the past century, the vocal repertoire of Eastern Europe became more common in recital performances.  However, there are still musical frontiers to be explored, one of which is the music of the Orient.  Dr. Zhong makes the singing of songs from the culture of the East a possibility for the western singer.  She deals with the difficulties faced in singing this music by those who do not speak oriental languages. She includes word-for-word translations, commentaries, and International Phonetic Alphabet transcriptions for each song.  In addition, she includes a CD of her own performance of the songs as well as her own pronunciation of the text.  She has made the repertoire, which has remained hidden for centuries, available to the western world in a very practical manner.  I believe that this publication will open the door to a new culture for singers. As we hear the songs in this volume in recitals, the thirst for more such repertoire will most likely follow."  --Roy Delp

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"To increase my familiarity with various kinds of Asian vocal music has long been a desire of mine, but that region of my musical background remained an empty chasm. The most powerful impediments to fulfilling my ambition, of course, were those exotic languages and their impenetrable written symbols. Now, in her anthology of Chinese folk songs, Dr. Mei Zhong of Ball State University has given us the opportunity to stretch our vocal and musical muscles to include a large variety of Chinese songs, made accessible with IPA symbols and, in the companion recording, an understanding of the style. What a pleasure to delve into these lovely and varied pieces." -- Shirlee Emmons

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"Now that China is becoming a new and vital force in the musical culture of the world, this book and CD, collated and performed by a wonderful Chinese artist: Mei Zhong, will give teachers, students and singers a way in which to broaden their repertoire and vistas."  --John Wustman

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“Soprano and Professor of Voice Mei Zhong has gathered herein 12 intriguing arrangements of delightful Chinese folk songs from different regions of that vast country. Set by composer Ting-Yi Ma, the highly melodic vocal lines are nestled harmonically and rhythmically within sophisticated musical constructs that heighten the lyrical nature of the spoken language. The accompaniments provided by Ma support and illuminate the honest utterance of the vocal line, weaving wonderfully evocative tonal tapestries that challenge and delight; there are no simplistic harmonizations for these uncomplicated melodies.

Volume I contains arrangements of each song for both high and low voice, and a CD recording of the songs sung by Dr. Zhong provides expert performances with which to whet the interpretative imagination. She also delivers dramatic readings of each text with clarity and nuance, thus presenting the student a model appropriate for acquiring the melodic, inflective characteristics of the spoken language.

This publication should become an essential part of the holdings of libraries in schools and conservatories of music throughout the western hemisphere. As China becomes a more important player on the global stage, understanding and appreciating the multi-layered tapestry of its culture is of increasing moment. Dr. Zhong has opened an exciting door for those of us who build our bridges through song. For this she has my gratitude, and I shall look forward to those companion volumes planned for future publication.” -- George I. Shirley

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“How wonderful to have an authentic guide to Oriental song repertoire that is understandable and usable! Chinese Folk Songs by Mei Zhong will serve singers, teachers, and coaches as a valuable reference to this unfamiliar repertoire. Twelve folk songs from various regions of China are presented in attractive and interesting arrangements by Ting-Yi Ma.  Translations, commentaries and IPA transcriptions of each song are included, with a special study aid—an accompanying CD on  which Mei Zhong performs the songs and pronounces the texts.  This appealing repertoire deserves to be heard.  Many thanks to Dr. Zhong for her comprehensive introduction to one of the last unexplored frontiers of song literature!” -- Carol Kimball

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“What a joy it is to discover Professor Mei Zhong’s book of ‘Newly Arranged Chinese Folk Songs.’  Copies of folk songs using the Chinese numerical notation can be obtained easily enough in Chinatowns throughout the world, but this is the first time I have encountered such a precise and authentic version of such songs notated for Western concert use.

Not only are the songs accurately and expressively transcribed together with detailed ornamentation, but the original song texts are notated using two methods, giving the performer a choice of International Phonic Alphabet and the more user-friendly, but possibly less accurate, Pinyin system.

The excellent Commentary section also contains both a word-for-word and a literary translation of the texts, together with notes on each individual song’s background together with brief analytical notes.

The accompaniments written by Ting-Yi Ma are expressive and colorful, calling to mind the techniques used on traditional zithers and lutes.  A CD is available of performances of each of the songs by Mei Zhong accompanied by Chi-Yin which help to reinforce the text.” --Derek Healey