Florida Folk Heritage Award Winner Haiqiong Deng to be Honored in Ceremony in Tallahassee

The Florida Folklife Program will honor 2017 Florida Folk Heritage Award recipient, Haiqiong Deng, at the Florida State University World Music Concert featuring the FSU Chinese and blues music ensembles at Opperman Music Hall on Thursday, April 20, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public, and recognizes Mrs. Deng’s achievements as a traditional Chinese musician and educator

“We invite the community to take part in celebrating Ms. Deng’s contributions,” said Secretary Detzner. “Her dedication and life-long commitment to preserving and promoting Chinese culture and music has contributed deeply to Florida’s cultural heritage.”

Haiqiong Deng was born in Lanzhou, China, where she began her studies in Chinese traditional music. She focused on the zheng, an ancient, 21-stringed instrument with a long and rich presence in Chinese culture. After graduating from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, she traveled internationally as a soloist and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2003. Eventually, she settled in Florida where she serves as the Director of the Chinese Music Ensemble at Florida State University.

Since 2001, Ms. Deng has dedicated herself to teaching Chinese music to a diverse body of students. She uses music as a tool to reinforce knowledge and appreciation of cultural heritage. Among her latest projects is an educational series called Echoes of Nature, which combines three key aspects of Chinese culture: music, calligraphy and art. Through creative partnerships and collaborations with composers, master artists, museums and educational institutions,      Ms. Deng actively promotes various forms of traditional Chinese culture, and explores the boundaries of musical expression.

Haiqiong Deng. Photo by Jonathan Allain

The Florida Department of State presents Florida Folk Heritage Awards annually to citizens who have made long-standing contributions to Florida’s cultural heritage by perpetuating community traditions. Like the National Heritage Awards, the Florida Folk Heritage Awards honor the state’s most influential tradition bearers for excellence, significance and authenticity as folk artists or folklife advocates. Information on how to make a nomination is available here and additional information regarding past recipients, including photos and bios, is available here.

The Florida Folklife Program is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts’ Folk and Traditional Arts Program. For further information about the Florida Folklife Program, contact State Folklorist Amanda Hardeman at 850.245.6427 or visit flheritage.com/preservation/folklife.

About the Florida Folklife Program

The Florida Folklife Program, a component of the Florida Department of State's Division of Historical Resources, documents and presents Florida’s folklife, folklore and folk arts. The program coordinates a wide range of activities and projects designed to increase the awareness of Floridians and visitors alike about Florida’s traditional culture. Established in 1979 by the legislature to document and present Florida folklife, the program is one of the oldest state folk arts programs in the nation.