Performing under the stage name Audrey Duo, Zhang Yi is currently a young actress and a student majoring in sheng performance at the Affiliated High School of the China Conservatory of Music, studying under Wang Lei from the Central Conservatory of Music and Wang Yang from the Affiliated High School of the China Conservatory of Music. Active in the industry since the age of five, she has appeared in numerous film and television productions, including The Curse of Turandot, Minning Town, Vortex, Liberation, and An Unexpected Life. Notably, she portrayed Li Na, the daughter of Chairman Mao, in the film Chairman Mao 1949 and the TV series The Leaves of Xiangshan Turn Red, and played the role of Xiao Hua in the upcoming film 731. Her extensive on-screen experience has fostered a solid artistic foundation and a confident stage presence.
In the realm of traditional Chinese instrumental music, Zhang Yi has devoted herself to the performance and preservation of the sheng, an instrument recognized as part of China’s intangible cultural heritage. She began learning sheng performance techniques from her father in 2021. In 2024, she won the highest honor, the "Zhizhen Award," at the National Youth Arts Showcase organized by the Central Conservatory of Music. Subsequently, in September 2025, she was admitted to the Affiliated High School of the Central Conservatory of Music to pursue specialized studies in traditional Chinese music, majoring in sheng. After entering the institution, she continued to excel and was awarded the 28th Liu Mingyuan Scholarship in March 2026. In May of the same year, she won the Gold Award in Category C at the 2026 International Sheng and Reeds Festival – Competition for Professional Sheng Performance. Rooted in Chinese culture and steadfast in her commitment to tradition, Zhang Yi hopes to use the sheng as a medium to pass on this artistic tradition and express the distinctive spirit and beauty of Chinese musical heritage.
