Mengdie (Melody) Ji is a Guzheng performer and whose work bridges traditional Chinese heritage and experimental contemporary practice. Her performances and compositions explore the rich tapestry of emotions and ideas inherent in Chinese music.

Trained under leading Guzheng masters including Li Meng, Wen Ruoni, and Su Chang, Ji began her musical journey at the age of four. She was admitted to the Beijing Contemporary Music Academy High School with the highest entrance score in her major, earned her bachelor’s degree from the Central Conservatory of Music, and pursued postgraduate study at University College London (UCL).

She has received international recognition, including the Gold Prize in the Youth Professional Category at the 2018 China International Youth Guzheng Invitational（2018年中国国际青少年古筝邀请赛｜青年专业组金奖）；Silver Award in the Youth Professional Category of the 4th "Qingle Cup" Hong Kong International Guzheng Competition（第四届“青乐杯”香港国际古筝比赛｜青年专业组银奖）； The 2nd "Dunhuang Cup" Guzheng Competition Professional Group Performance Award（第二届“敦煌杯”古筝比赛｜职业组演奏奖）, and so on. She has performed internationally, including tours in Japan and appearances at major stages such as the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the Central Conservatory Opera Hall，and University of Tokyo, Japan.

Ji’s current work challenges and redefines the guzheng’s sonic identity through interdisciplinary collaboration and site-responsive performance. Her artistic research explores the instrument as a medium for memory, migration, and reimagined cultural geographies. She collaborates frequently with composers and artists across genres, premiering new works such as Butterfly’s Dream, Chi Le Song, Impressions of Four Seasons, and Qingyu An. Her performances have been featured at venues including the Royal Academy of Music’s Duke’s Hall, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, and the University of Cambridge.

In addition to performing, Ji is an experienced educator. From 2018 to 2022, she served as guzheng instructor and Chinese orchestra director at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, leading large-scale concert productions and developing curriculum that integrates tradition with experimentation.

Ji’s practice is rooted in the aesthetics of classical Chinese music but moves beyond its historical frame—engaging with sound as a living language, shaped by place, time, and transformation.