Family ties draw grandson of legendary conductor back to a career in music

Zhang Kemin tried his hardest to resist becoming a professional musician like his grandfather, the late Chinese conductor Li Delun (1917-2001).

"I was rebellious. Almost everyone in my family is a musician and I wanted to be different," says Zhang, 36, who has learned piano, violin and viola since childhood. He took on a variety of jobs to distract him from music, from working in venture capital firms to comedy clubs.

But he has found himself in music nonetheless, and recently he played piano to accompany US soprano Kerry Holahan, kicking off The Spirit of America tour, organized by American Cultural Center Tours' Ping Pong Productions in association with Li Delun Music Foundation.