About Zhi Yin
知音合唱團是由著名男高音歌唱家、聲樂教育家談柏年先生於1997年在舊金山組建成立，並擔任音樂總監和指揮。知音合唱團是美國聯邦政府註冊的非盈利機構，現有的80多位團員來自舊金山海灣地區各行各業，有不同的文化背景。合唱團的宗旨是通過合唱訓練和演出，使團員學習到正確的歌唱方法，提高音樂修養。我們的共識是在追求完美的合唱藝術中，享受美好的人生。我們用歌聲在美國社會弘揚中華文化，促進中美文化交流，也踴躍參與社區的公益活動，譬如為公益團體做募款義演。
知音合唱團在談柏年先生帶領下,本着豐富灣區華人的音樂文化生活及追求合唱藝術的願望，每年舉辦音樂會。十九年來演唱了兩百多首經典合唱作品。2005年，正值抗戰勝利60週年之際，知音合唱團組織發起了《黄河之聲》專題音樂會。在談柏年先生充滿激情的指揮下，180位合唱團員和近100位Nova Vista交響樂團團員合作演出的《黃河大合唱》極為成功。二千五百位觀眾熱淚盈眶，激動萬分，掌聲和encore聲不絕於耳，久久站立不願離去，為此不得不返場兩次，感人的場面難以忘懷！2009年舉辦了《百老匯之夜》專題音樂會，回顧了60年來音樂劇的發展歷史。我們和王作欣教授帶領的上海音樂學院學生合作演繹了25齣經典音樂劇中的29首名曲。2010年舉辦了弘揚中華文化的《一樽還酹江月》中國古詩、詞、曲專題音樂會，演唱了18首為古詩詞寫的歌曲，並配以解釋詩詞意境的幻燈片。2011年赴加拿大與溫哥華的溫馨合唱團同台交流演出。2012年舉辦了《Folk Songs around the World》世界民歌之旅專題音樂會，配上介紹世界各國風土人情的幻燈片，我們帶著觀眾乘著歌聲的翅膀飛越五大洲四大洋，用10種不同的語言和各種聲樂藝術形式演唱了40個國家的43首風格迥異、色彩絢麗的民歌。2013年我們以《Songs of Hope》專題音樂會來表達追求和平、綠色地球和愛的願望。2014年舉辦了《East Meets West》專題音樂會，中西經典的聲樂和器樂作品在同一個舞台上相映生輝。
尤其值得一提的是，2015年11月，知音合唱團在著名的上海音樂廳和台北國家音樂廳巡迴演出，舉辦了兩場《飛翔吧，自由飛翔！》專場音樂會，為知音合唱團寫下了新篇章。 我們以歌聲倾訴遊子情思， 演唱了一組為古詩詞譜寫且頌揚中華文化的歌曲，介紹了美國中西部的民歌，以及表達對世界和人生情愛的優秀的英文歌曲。在我們以激情和動人的歌聲演唱完我們的壓軸曲---根據法國大文豪雨果《悲慘的世界》編寫的同名音樂劇主題聯唱後, 上千位觀眾激動不已，一曲《明天會更好》encore終了，卻欲罷不能。
知音合唱團設有南灣分部及東灣分部，每年有春秋兩個排練季節，每週排練一次，還不定期舉辦專題講座，歡迎有興趣參加的朋友請與團長Susan Liu (408) 472-4091 或音樂總監談柏年 (925) 302-9968 聯絡．
The Zhi Yin Singers, a registered nonprofit organization, was founded by Mr. Bainian Tan, the renowned tenor and vocal educator in 1997. Our objective is to raise members’ music appreciation through choral singing and vocal production. Currently, Zhi Yin Singers has more than 80 members with a wide variety of backgrounds and professions. With Mr. Bainian Tan as the Music Director and Conductor, the group holds annual concerts and performs at community events. We sing show tunes, pop songs, Chinese and American folk music, and classical pieces. We also hold master classes, music appreciation events, and workshops on various vocal music topics. Through singing, we promote Chinese culture in American society and actively support community activities.
In 2005, together with Nova Vista Symphony and two other choral groups, Zhi Yin Singers performed “The Voice of Yellow River Concert” before an audience of 2500 with Mr. Tan as the concert Music Director and Conductor. Our performance was praised as “a very high level of musicianship,” and “the energy was amazing and the sound was beautiful”. The 2009 "Broadway Nights" concert celebrated the 60 years of musicals. With the Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s Prof. Wang Zuoxin and students, we performed 29 songs from 25 classical musicals. To introduce Chinese classical poetry and music to American society, we sang 18 songs composed for ancient Chinese poems in the 2010 "Toast to the River Moon" concert. In 2011, we visited Vancouver, Canada and performed together with the Van Sing Choir. In the 2012 "Folk Songs around the World" concert, with colorful introduction slides for respective countries, we sang 43 vastly different and colorful folk songs in 10 different languages from 40 countries. The 2013 "Songs of Hope" concert expressed our quest for peace, green earth and love. In the 2014 "East Meets West" concert, Chinese and western classical vocal and instrumental musics gloriously played on the same stage.
Especially, in November 2015, with a concert tour, we held "Fly! Flying Free!" concerts at the renowned Shanghai Concert Hall and Taipei National Concert Hall with songs expressing our love for our homelands, folk songs from American Midwest, and a medley from the musical “Les Miserables’. Touched by our performance, the audience applauded and yelled “encore” nonstop even after our encore song.
Zhi Yin Singers’ season extends from September through June. To accommodate members from the entire San Francisco Bay Area, we hold weekly practices on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons at Cupertino and Danville, respectively. New members are welcome. To join the Zhi Yin Singers, please contact our Executive Director, Susan Liu, at (408) 472-4091 or our Music Director, Mr. Bainain Tan, at (925) 302-9968.