AAPI Voices in Celebration Performance Showcase

Presented in partnership with the Creative Asian Society (CAS), this special performance showcase celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with an unforgettable afternoon of world-class music and dance.

The program features an extraordinary lineup of internationally recognized artists, including renowned pipa virtuoso Ming Ke; distinguished conductor and multi-instrumentalist Aik Khai Pung; and Sirui Liu, Principal Dancer with Cincinnati Ballet.

They are joined by Dr. Guru Das (sitar), Sri Subrahmanyam Atreyapurapu (veena), Sri Orijeet Haldar (tabla), Sri Mandar Chati (harmonium), and Dr. Vasudevan Namboodari (mridangam).

The afternoon also includes a Bharatanatyam performance by By Ohio Arts Council Apprentice Awardee Kum. Sivanya Sivaruban. Performances are curated by Artistic Director Anupama Mirle of NSPA Nrityarpana School of Performing Arts.

Blending tradition with contemporary expression, these artists illuminate the richness and diversity of AAPI cultural heritage while demonstrating the transformative power of the performing arts, offering a rare opportunity to experience exceptional artistry that inspires, moves and connects our community.

Cincinnati Dayton Taiko is dedicated to promoting Japanese-style taiko drumming through performance and education. Taiko drums are large drums played in an ensemble format that allows for thundering sounds and exciting rhythms. Cincinnati Dayton Taiko performs traditional and contemporary songs.

For 26 years, Cincinnati Dayton Taiko has performed around the Tri-State area at festivals, libraries, schools and private events, emphasizing the fun and community spirit of taiko. Cincinnati Dayton Taiko was founded as an all-volunteer non-profit arts organization in 1999 with the support of the Japanese-Americans Citizens Leagues (JACL) of Cincinnati and Dayton.

Ming Ke is a classically trained pipa player whose career spans over four decades and three continents. Born in Nanjing, China, she studied music and dance from an early age before graduating with distinction from the Nanjing Arts Institute. She has performed with orchestras in China, Japan, Spain, and the United States, including collaborations with the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestras. In addition to the pipa, she plays the zhongruan, guzheng, and liuqin, enriching her performances with a wide range of traditional sounds. Ke’s work bridges tradition and innovation, from early premieres like Suicide at Wujiang to recent digital collaborations with composer YiQun. Her performances reflect a long-standing commitment to cultural exchange, education, and artistic growth. She currently shares her music and projects through her online platform, Ming Ke Pipa World.

Sirui Liu began her ballet training at the Shanghai Dance School in 2000. After seven years of foundational training, she continued her studies at the Shanghai Dance College of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors. In 2011, Siru launched her professional career in the United States, joining the Cincinnati Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet. Demonstrating exceptional artistry and technique, she was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2017.

Throughout her career, Ms. Liu has earned numerous accolades. She received the gold medal at the Ninth Taolibei National Dance Competition in China in 2009, followed by another gold medal at the Beijing International Ballet Competition in 2010. In 2017, she was named one of Dance Magazine’s "Top 25 to Watch.”

Ms. Liu’s career has taken her across the globe. In 2011, she performed in Hong Kong Ballet's Swan Lake. In 2016, she was featured in the “Night of Ballet” Gala in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. She appeared as a Guest Principal in Los Angeles Ballet’s Bloom in 2022, danced in the Glory Ballet Gala in Shanghai in 2024 & 2025, and was invited to perform Lady White Snake as a Guest Star at the Shanghai Grand Theatre and subsequent tour at Lincoln Center in New York City in 2025.

Sirui’s extensive repertoire includes classical pas de deux such as Don Quixote, Esmeralda, Diana and Acteon, Le Corsaire, Paquita, and Coppelia. She has also performed principal roles including Odette and Odile in Swan Lake, Giselle, Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in Nutcracker, Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty, Waltz girl in Balanchine’s Serenade, First Principal in Emerald, Tall girl in Balanchine’s Rubies, Cinderella, “In the middle, somewhat elevated”, The Chosen One in Rite of Spring, Minus 16, Carmina Burana, amongst many other ballets.

Ms. Liu has collaborated with world-renowned choreographers, including William Forsythe, Annabelle Lope Ochoa, Helen Pickett, Val Caniparoli, Justin Peck, Alejandro Cerrudo, Nicolo Fonte, Garrett Smith, Septime Webre, Yuri Possokhov, Kirk Peterson, Trey McIntyre, Ohad Naharin, Alexander Ekman, Jennifer Archibald, Edwaard Liang, Ma Cong, Travis Wall, etc.

She has served as an adjudicator for The World Ballet Art Competition Grand Prix (Indiana region, 2019) and The Grand Jeté – South Carolina Student Ballet and Modern/Contemporary Dance Competition (2023). Ms. Liu is currently the Associate Principal of the Student Performance Ensemble and has taught at numerous schools in the U.S. and China, including the Cincinnati Ballet Academy, Shanghai Dance College, South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, and the Pennsylvania Ballet Conservatory.

Dr. Subrahmanyam Atreyapurapu

With a PhD in Human Sciences, his foundation training in the Veena was from Sri Toleti Buchi Babu Garu from Anakapalli, with further tutelage of (Late) Smt. Ramavarapu Vijayalakshmi Garu and now under ,Dr. Ramavarapu Madhuri Devi. He won Zonal competitions conducted by All India Radio (AIR), Shyama Sastry Music Festival, held in Kanchipuram last year and was the recipient of gold medal at the Annual Global Music Festival, Ramavarapu Vijayalakshmi Global Music Awards Ceremony.

Sri. Mandar Chati

A professional Jet Engineer for 25+ years, he started his musical journey at a young age, learning the harmonium and then taking to the keyboards. is a harmonium/ keyboard player based in Cincinnati, with a main interest in playing Hindi (Bollywood) and Marathi movie songs and bhajans. Mandar has performed at many cultural and private events over the past several years. Mandar has a vast collection of various instrument sounds and rhythm patterns to accompany singers on their musical journey!!

Dr. Guru Das

A retired Theoretical Physicist. with a PhD from University of Chicago, Dr. Guru Das was born in a village near Dacca, Bangladesh. Surrounded by music in his early years, he developed a passion for music. His initial training/ talim from professional sitarist Mr. Patrick Marks who emigrated from Gujarat to Chicago, he is self-trained in vocal and harmonium. When on a sabbatical in the West Coast (Mountainview, California) he joined a Tabla course with Ustad Alla Rakha for about a year. At the same time he was both accompanying on Tabla and learning Sitar from the highly talented sitarist Krishna Bhatt. Guru Das has formed a school of music called “Cincinnati Sangeet Kala Kendra” in the Cincinnati area a few years back and teaches Tabla, vocal (along with Harmonium), classical and Sitar music.