Bio

Hailing from Shenzhen, China, Rongbing Shen serves as the Music Teacher at the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (PVCICS). She holds the position of Secretary General for the 15th China Education Symposium at Harvard University and is a board member for the New England Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA). Additionally, Rongbing is the Program Book Editor for the International Clarinet Association‘s (ICA) ClarinetFest and a clarinetist with The Valley Winds Ensemble in Amherst, MA.

She started her music career when she was six and studied abroad in her junior year of high school. Under the direction of Stephen Massey, former Foxborough band director, she further discovered her musical interests and pursued a Music Education and Clarinet Performance degree at the University of Massachusetts under Romie de Guise-Langlois and Bixby Kennedy. Shen has participated in various music conferences, such as the 2018 Berklee China–U.S. music summit, International Clarinet Association’s 2019, 2021, 2023 Clarinetfest, 2019-2021 Midwest Clinic, 2020 virtual Women Band Directors International conference. She was also invited as a guest artist to perform in the 2020 Clarinetfest with her clarinet, saxophone, and piano trio. Shen has been accepted to several summer and winter music programs, including 2019 and 2021 ARIA International Summer Academy, 2021 Buffet Crampon Virtual Clarinet Academy, and Sewanee Winterfest, where she played in masterclasses and studied with many accomplished clarinetists, including Diana Haskell, Philippe Cuper, Jonathan Gunn, and Chad Burrow. An active ensemble member and a community music advocate, Shen helps coordinate the first and second annual UMass Clarinet Day, 2020 and 2021 CLARIconNEcT, and successfully promoted the event both domestically and internationally. Shen also enjoys playing for the public and bringing music to the local elderly home. In 2019, she has performed at the Linda Manor Extended Care Family and at Amherst bookstore to support the “Bach in the subway” global movement and UMass Bach festival and symposium.

Shen has traveled to Canada, Connecticut, western Massachusetts, and performed separately at Toronto Center for Performing Arts, Trinity College, and Boston Symphony Hall with the Foxborough High School Orchestra; Yale University, Concord high school with UMass Wind Ensemble. Besides, she commissioned a symphony by composer David Biedenbender with UMass Wind Ensemble in 2019, and premiered Michael in Lorio’s Hypnos, a duet for Bb clarinet and vibe in 2020 and Alex Letourneausa’s Indigo, a solo clarinet piece in 2021. Since the start of the pandemic, Shen has worked on 15+ digital music projects with her chamber ensemble and professional band to continue uniting people worldwide and sharing positivities with others during this uneasy time. One of her most gratifying collaborative projects is the one she co-organized with her trio, Hope trio, it consists of their recording of Serenity by Cait Nishimura and 100+ photos/videos submissions of people’s favorite moments from all over the world. 

Short Bio

Rongbing Shen is an Educator, Leader, and Performer, and serves as the Elementary Music and Chinese Language Teacher at Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School. She is the Artistic Director and PR Manager for the Chinese American Culture Heritage Society and a board member of the New England Chapter of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association (AOSA). She also holds multiple leadership roles in the International Clarinet Association (ICA), including Program Book Editor and Chair of the Membership and Development Committee. Previously, she was the Head of the Music Research and Teaching Group at the Beijing TNYK Education Development Center. Rongbing recently earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Clarinet Performance from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, studying under Romie de Guise-Langlois.

In recent years, Rongbing has participated in Buffet Crampon Summer Academy, Midwest Clinic, Eastman Leadership Academy, and many other conferences and festivals. She enjoyed premiering new repertories and bringing music to the local community. Currently, she is a member of The Valley Winds ensemble, contributes to administrative tasks for the Pioneer Valley Symphony, and dedicates her time to volunteering with Women for UMass and UMass Gold Council.