Mission & Vision
The Chinese Artists Association of Alberta is dedicated to promoting Chinese art, culture, and creative expression while fostering meaningful connections within Alberta’s diverse communities. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and cultural events, we celebrate artistic excellence, preserve cultural heritage, and contribute to the rich multicultural landscape that makes Alberta vibrant and inclusive.
Our Board and Team
Yinliang Zhao
Chair, Chinese Artists Association of Alberta
Began his formal guitar education at the age of 15. Made his stage debut at 18 and founded an original rock band as the guitarist at 19, establishing a strong foundation in live performance and original music composition.
Graduated from The Communication University of China (CUC). In 2013, he co-founded a corporate management consulting firm in Beijing, serving as Deputy General Manager. He specialized in corporate governance, leadership development, and human resources consulting and training. This robust business background laid a solid administrative foundation for his strategic leadership in the non-profit arts sector.
Transitioned into professional guitar education in 2018, dedicating himself to nurturing musical talent. Currently based in Canada, he and his key partners established the Chinese Artists Association of Alberta to foster cultural integration. He continuously leads “The GCB” band in delivering high-level performances, uniting traditional Chinese instruments—such as the erhu, pipa, dizi and guzheng—with contemporary Western music on prominent festival stages.
Michael Wang
Treasurer
Retired Professional Engineer with extensive experience in the telecommunications and municipal sectors. Throughout his career, he worked for TELUS, Bell, and the City of Calgary, leading and supporting telecommunications infrastructure, network engineering, and public-sector technology projects. Recognized for strong technical expertise, project management skills, and a practical, solutions-oriented approach. Following retirement, he has been actively involved in real estate investment, property management, and condominium board leadership.
Christina Jiang
Secretary
Christina Jiang currently serves as the Board Secretary of the Chinese Artists Association of Alberta (CAAA), seamlessly blending a profound artistic background with business management expertise.
Demonstrating strong musical talent from an early age, she attended the Primary and Middle Schools affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music, specializing in violin. After relocating to Calgary, she joined the local GCB Band in 2023 to continue promoting cultural heritage through music. This elite musical background gives her an innate and deep resonance with the arts world and cultural curation. In the business domain, Christina holds a Master’s degree in Management and previously served as the Director of Sales for the China Travel Market at a Fortune Global 500 luxury group, bringing over 10 years of multinational management experience. Additionally, she is a veteran licensed real estate expert holding professional credentials in both British Columbia (BC) and Alberta (AB). Leveraging her outstanding corporate operations, multi-stakeholder coordination, she is dedicated to ensuring the efficient, compliant operations of the association while building a solid bridge between artists and cross-regional communities.
Ridan Da
Director
Ridan Da is a highly acclaimed Chinese music producer and one of the industry’s most respected master-level keyboardists. Born into a prominent musical family of Mongolian heritage, he blends profound traditional roots with modern pop and contemporary sensibilities.
Over a career spanning nearly three decades, Ridan Da has established himself as a pivotal “behind-the-scenes hero” in the Chinese music industry, steering both major studio record productions and the house bands of China’s most watched music television franchise.
Lemon Wang
Director
Lemon Wang, erhu player, was graduated from Central conservatory of Music in Beijing and got her master degree in the U of C. She held two successful recitals in 2013 and 2014.
Lemon has received numerous awards in many competition. She was one of the winners of the 2014 RBC Concerto Competition and performed as soloist with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. She also performed as erhu soloist all over the world.