Vivi Hu

Vivi Hu is an award-winning New York-based Chinese vocalist, songwriter, and bandleader dedicated to fostering international arts exchange. Specializing in jazz, folk, and gospel music, she works to bring Chinese jazz and folk music to contemporary America and traditional Western gospel to Chinese audiences. Through her performance and directing, Vivi’s passion for building a cross-cultural appreciation of Eastern and Western music roots results in a distinctive artistic voice that continues to captivate audiences internationally.

Vivi’s vocal and performance styles connect the traditional and the popular that evoke a rhythm and dynamic reminiscent of renowned jazz and gospel artists such as Anita O’Day and Kirk Franklin. To date, she has lent her talents to several high-profile performances and festivals in both China and the United States including Gulangyu Music Hall and Le Meridien in Xiamen, the Summer Music Festival in Shanghai, and the Taihu Midi Festival in Suzhou, as well as the Silvana Club, the 2017 Lunar New Year Celebration at Queens Library, and the City University of New York Gospel Festival in New York City, among many others.

Born and raised in Xiamen China, Vivi trained as a vocalist and flutist before launching her performance career in 2011. Her first exposure to jazz came in 2013 at the JZ Music Festival in Shanghai, sparking a passion for infusing traditional Chinese music with the art form. Her love for jazz and its improvisational qualities led her to quickly earn a reputation as one of the most sought-after jazz musicians in Xiamen. At the same time, she worked to incorporate gospel into her musical style for Chinese performances.

In addition to singing, Vivi has built a reputation as a leader in music composition, arrangement, and concert producing. Her enthusiasm for jazz and performance brought her to New York City in 2015 to further her studies at Queens College, where she earned a master’s degree in music with a focus on jazz performance for voice. She continues to bring the traditions of Chinese folk and jazz to her work in New York, most recently for Shanghai Memories: Golden Songs from the 1930s and 1940s at Flushing Town Hall in 2017. As the producer of the event, Vivi provided the jazz arrangement for traditional Shanghai songs and English translation of lyrics, in addition to facilitating communication between Chinese traditional instrumentalists and jazz musicians.

Today, Vivi continues to pursue performance as both an artist and a bandleader.

She serves as lead singer for Vivi's Bubble Dream, a group that blends jazz, R&B, Chinese folk, and gospel elements. She released an album comprised of original gospel music in both English and Chinese in Feb 23th, 2018. A second album, in the style of Hokkien folk fusion jazz, is also anticipated for mid 2018.

Awards

Global Music Award: Silver Medal for gospel, female vocalist and lyricist/songwriter