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Artist Bio

At the age of 27, Tina Guo has already developed a fascinating international multi-faceted performing career as a solo classical cellist, rock/metal/fusion electric cellist, and acclaimed recording artist known for her distinctive sound and improvisatory style in major motion picture, television, and game scores. She is also a composer, producer, photo artist/light painter, and published poet and writer. Tina is currently the featured soloist the electric cello in Cirque Du Soleil's Michael Jackson "The Immortal" World Tour, and is also featured in the new commercial for the 2014 Mazda6 both on screen and as musician.

Tina has appeared as a classical soloist with the San Diego Symphony, the State of Mexico National Symphony, the Thessaloniki State Symphony in Greece, the Bari Symphony in Italy, the Petrobras Symphony and the Barra Mansa Symphony in Brazil, and the Vancouver Island Symphony in British Columbia. She recently recorded with the tango group, Triango for FIM Records in Slovakia, and the Vivaldi Concerto in C minor for Cello, Harpischord, and Strings, as well as the Elgar Concerto in Italy for Wide Classics. She played at the American Country Music Awards with Carrie Underwood and soloed on the electric cello alongside Johnny Marr of the Smiths and Hans Zimmer at the Premiere of Inception in Hollywood. Tina also recently performed and recorded as a guest with the Jazz/Fusion Miles Evans Band, and appeared on Dancing with the Stars performing with Carlos Santana and India Arie. She is also featured on electric cello solos on the new soundtrack for Blizzard's Diablo III and Call of Duty: Black Ops II. Tina was the featured classical cello soloist on the score for "Journey" for PlayStation3, currently nominated for Best Soundtrack at the 2013 Grammy Awards.

Tina performed at the Grammy's with the Foo Fighters, at the MTV Movie Awards, American Idol, at Comic Con in San Diego featured on the electric cello in the Battlestar Galactica Orchestra, and with Brazilian guitarist Victor Biglione in a Jimi Hendrix Tribute Concert at the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janiero. Tina was featured on New Jack Swing Legend Al. B Sure's new single, "I Love It" and appeared with him in Billboard Magazine. She also played with Far East Movement on the Lopez Show and completed a month long classical recital tour raising money for a Buddhist Temple/Organization throughout Indonesia. Tina is the featured cello and electric cello soloist for Hans Zimmer's score for Sherlock Holmes and John Debney's Iron Man 2 score. She is also featured on acoustic and electric cello solos for Bill Brown's score for CSI:NY and recently recorded solo cellos for Red Riding Hood and Abduction. Tina recently recorded solo electric cello for Trevor Morris' score for Olympus Has Fallen as well as acoustic cello solo for TV show The Borgias.

She performed with violinist Midori Goto in Dvorak's American String Quartet at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and completed three national tours of Mexico performing the Shostakovich, Dvorak, and Saint Saens Cello Concertos. Tina also performed at the wrap party for the Sundance Film Festival, was featured in a wildlife benefit concert at the Playboy Mansion, and has shared the stage with Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel, Josh Groban, John Legend, LeAnn Rhimes, Chris Isaak, Il Divo, and Michael McDonald. Tina recently performed in a sold-out concert in England for Dreamworks with Hans Zimmer and John Powell for a live concert of music from Kung-Fu Panda 2, Pirates of the Caribbean, Shrek, and many other blockbuster movies featuring her as soloist on electric cello and erhu.

Tina recently recorded solo cello for John Legend and Tila Tequila, played on Derek Sherinian's (Dream Theater) new album with Zakk Wylde, shot a music video with Kelly Clarkson and Reba McEntire, played on the soundtrack for Hancock, Inception, Battle: Los Angeles, Clash of the Titans, Predators, The Fast and the Furious, and on the TV shows Family Guy, American Dad, King of the Hill, among many others. Her solos on the electric cello are featured on entire season score of Iron Chef and her arrangement and performance of "The Flight of the Bumble-Bee" was featured in the end credits for Ben Stiller's The Heartbreak Kid.

Tina toured with her first band, a rock/classical crossover group she co founded called "Metaphor" through Australia, performing in 21 cities; they presented string workshops and clinics for aspiring young musicians as a part of the tour's outreach program. Another past project of Tina's, the classical "Pegasus Piano Trio" traveled to France and Brazil for the Franco-Américaine Rencontre de Musique de la Chambre at the Château de la Bretesche in Missillac and the Rio International Cello Encounter. In addition to also performing the Elgar and Saint-Saens Concertos as a soloist with the Petrobras and Barra Mansa Symphonies while in Brazil, she gave masterclasses at the Rio International Cello Encounter. Tina also performed with crossover pianist William Joseph at the International Philanthropy Summit in Majorca, Spain.

Tina has won first prize in many classical competitions, including the Music Heritage Inc. String Competition, the MTAC, ASTA, and CAPMT California State Solo Competitions, and the Parness Concerto Competition for Young Artists; she was awarded the "Most Promising Talent" Award at the California Young Artists Competition. She also placed first in the University of Southern California Thorton School's Concerto Competition, as well as the San Diego Symphony Young Artists Concerto Competition. A published composer, she has also been awarded first place in the MTNA California State Composition Competition for her series of cello duets. They can be found in Davina Music Publications' chamber music books.

Tina's musical education began at the age of 3, when she began her piano studies in Shanghai, China. After coming to America at the age of 5, she began violin lessons with her mother and later began studying the cello under the instruction of her father, Lu-Yan Guo at the age of 7. Tina continued her professional cello studies with Eleonore Schoenfeld at the the University of Southern California's Thorton School of Music on full scholarship, and was also a Governor's Scholar for academic excellence.

Equally serious and devoted to both her classical and industrial metal music, Tina hopes to open the hearts and ears of audiences of seemingly juxtaposing genres. She continues to balance the spiritual and technical eloquence of classical music in manipulating the music and emotion within a defined boundary, and the visceral excitement of paving a new path as a serious rock musician. "A virtuoso on the classical cello, equally skilled as a powerhouse shredder on the electric cello, masterfully balancing classical elegance with her inner metal child." (The Overture.)
An avid writer and poet, she recently published her first book "Event Horizons of Yin and Yang," a collection of philosophical musings, poetry, and prose, now available. Tina is also passionate about charity work and is in production for a project to be released in 2014 of which all proceeds will go to her scholarship foundation which provides funding and assistance for aspiring composers and musicians in the areas of cinematic and media music.

Tina's instrumental metal music video for her song "Queen Bee" won Best Music Video at the LA Downtown Film Festival and was also nominated for Best Music Video by the Hollywood Music an Media Awards. Her albums "Autumn Winds" and "The Journey" are available on iTunes and other digital outlets, and the next album "Eternity" will be released in Spring 2013. Her songs "Queen Bee" and "Forbidden City" are also available for download to play for Rockband on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
Tina holds a Bachelors in Metaphysics and is currently working on her Masters Degree from the road as she tours until the start of 2014 with the Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour by Cirque du Soleil.

To see her music videos and more, visit www.Youtube.com/Demix500

Tina performs on a 1878 Gand & Bernadel Cello.

On electric cello, she plays on her own custom line of Cambiare GUO Electric Cellos.

Tina endorses Sennheiser, Focusrite, ENGL Amps, Voodoo Lab Pedals, Coffin Case, Zoom, Samson, Reunion Blues, Analysis Plus Cables, Pickworld, and Shrine Clothing.