PERSONAL

Date of Birth:            June 4. 1971
Sex:                           Female            
Education:                 Spiritual Education for 12 years
Marital Status:          Single
Languages:                English, Nepali, Hindi, Tibetan, German    
Nationality:                Nepali Tibetan

BACKGROUND

Ani Choying Drolma, the founder of the Nuns Welfare Foundation of Nepal, was born in 1971 in Nepal.  At the age of 13, she joined Nagi Gompa, a Buddhist nunnery on Shivapuri Mountain on the northern slope of the Kathmandu valley.  Her education and spiritual training was supervised by the renowned meditation master, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.  She was educated in Buddhist meditation, chants, rituals and ceremonies and quickly advanced to the position of the chanting master in the nunnery.  Later, she resigned from this position to become Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's personal health attendant and served him until his parinirvana (passing away) in February 1996. 

From seeing Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's altruistic life-style, always giving to others, without considering his own welfare, she developed a sincere desire to use whatever capacities she has to benefit beings as much as possible.  Because Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche himself held nuns in the same regard as monks, Ani Choying Drolma believes that creating more opportunities for nuns to study and to develop their own capacities for skillful and compassionate action is the best way she can dedicate herself to her teacher's vision throughout her life.  She is committed to do whatever she can to promote the advancement of nuns, not only for their own benefit but because they will then be better prepared to serve and benefit others.

Ani Choying Dolma is an internationally reputed singer of Buddhist hymns and chants who has toured extensively in North America and Europe. A philanthropist dedicated to the welfare of Buddhist nuns who in 2000 founded the Arya Tara School for nuns from the procedes from her concerts and tours.

EXPERIENCE

1. Puja Leader and Attendant to Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Nagi Gompa

• Led all religious ceremonies and rituals (1988-89) at the Nagi Gompa Hermitage, home to some 100 nuns
• Acted as personal health attendant (1985-1996) to Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, abbot of Nagi Gompa

2. Founder, Nuns Welfare Foundation (NWF) of Nepal

• The NWF, is a registered non-governmental organization, was established in 1998 to promote the education and welfare of nuns so that they may in turn serve the larger community.
• Arya Tara School, the flagship project of NWF, was opened in 2000. It provides both secular and religious training in Tibetan, Dharma, Nepali, English, Math and Science to more than 50 young nuns.
• The Thangka Painting School, another project under the banner of NWF was opened on 25th March 2007 at the Arya Tara School premises in Pharphing. This is the only and the first school to teach the Tibetan art form of Thangka painting to nun in Nepal.
• With support from Ani Choying’s well-wishers, Heri and Margret Wirth, water for the World, Germany, she also built a water reservoir with a capacity of one hundred and fifty thousand liters of water in the Setidevi village which saw completion on November 21, 2006. This project is dedicated to the rural women of this region for whom the duty of carrying loads of water everyday from nearby water sources has been tremendously reduced.

3. Executive board member and trustee, Lumbini Development Trust

4. Singer

• CD Recording on the names: (1) “Cho” in 1997 for Worldwide release by an American CD company, (2) “Dancing Dakini” in 1999, and (3) “Choying” in 2000,(4) “Moments Of Bliss” in 2004, (5) “Smile” in 2005 and (6)“Innerpeace” in 2006.
• Her songs and original music has also appeared on various albums, including “Head Massage” by Soul Flip and the “Buddha Bar” compilation.
• Performance Highlights:

• In 1998: Conducted concert tour of 14 cities in US
• In 1999: Conducted concert tour of 14 cities in North America. Performed 10 concerts in France, Germany, and Switzerlan
• In 2000: Conducted concert tour of 14 cities in North America. Performed concerts in Scotland, United Kingdom, Germany and US
• In 2001: Conducted concert tour of 19 cities in Europe. Performed 1 concert in Singapore
• In 2002: Conducted concert tour of 16 cities in Europe. Conducted concert tour of 5 cities in US. Performed 1 concert in Singapore      
• In 2003: Conducted concert tour of 25 cities in Europe. Performed 10 concerts in France, Germany, and Switzerland. Performed concert for the spiritual gathering at Mirik, Darjeeling on 17th April, 2003. Performed concert at Hotel Yak & Yeti, Kathmandu on May 26, 2003. Performed concert in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong, and Pokharebung, India in August 15, 2003. Conducted concert tour of 25 cities in Europe.Performed 10 concerts in France, Germany, and Switzerland
• In 2004: Conducted a concert tour in Denmark. Performed a fundraising concert at The Bluestar Hotel, Tripureshwor, Kathmandu. Performed a concert in Italy on World Human Rights Day. Performed a concert at Forum 2004, Barcelona. Performed a fundraising concert at the Garden Of Dreams, Keshar Mahal, Kathmandu. Conducted concert tour in USA and Switzerland in October Performed concerts in many cities in Germany (Oct-Nov) 2004. Performed concerts in Barcelona, Spain. Performed a concert in Hong Kong on December 28,2004
• In 2005: Concert tour in the US accompanied by Steve Tibbets( guitarist) and Marc Anderson( percussionist) in March. Performed concerts in the US till April 17 and in Bonn, Germany on Nepal Day (30th April 2005). Sixth Annual fundraising concert held on June 24 at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza in Kathmandu and on June 25 at the Royal Nepal Academy Hall in Kathmandu. Performed concerts in Switzerland, Italy and Germany in July. Concerts in Hong Kong, and in various cities in Germany and Switzerland in September. Performed concerts in 20 cities in Germany in October and November.
• In 2006: Concert tour in Germany in April. Performed at the celebration of the 20th birthday of KINDERHILFE NEPAL in Bamberg. Concert tour in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka) in May and in Switzerland in July. The annual fundraising concert was held at the Royal Nepal Academy Hall in Kathmandu, Nepal on July 1st. Concert tour in Germany in August and in Switzerland in October, 2006.     
• In 2007: Concert tour in Paris, France in March.

PARTICIPATION IN EVENTS, FESTIVALS & CONFERENCES

Festivals

• Ravinia Festival (1999), Illinois, US
• Smithsonian Folk Life Festival (2000), Washington, D.C.
• Scotland Millennium Festival (2000), Glen Lyon, Scotland
• Sixth World Music Festival (2001), Barcelona, Spain
• Donohue Festival (2002), Austria
• Weitsicht festival(2004)
• Participated in the Stimmen Festival/Voices Festival (July1,2,3) Switzerland in July 2005
• Participated in the Festival Musicale Del Mediterraneo (July 6),Genua, Italy in July 2005
• Performed at the Enjoy Jazz Festival in Heidelberg together with the musicians Kudsi Ergüner, (Turkey, Michel Godard, (France) in March, 2006.
• Performed at the New York Festival with the Shenwei Dance Art family in September 2006.

Events

• Felicitated and awarded 5000 Euros at the Weitsicht festival(Oct 2004)
• Felicitated by Everest Foundation Nepal(August 2004)
• Inaugurated “Samay Chakra”an art exhibition by Ragini Upadhya in Siddharth Art gallery, Kathmandu in April 2005.
• Awarded the Image Channel award for the Best Female Vocal performance for her song “Phoolko Aankhama” from her album, “Moments of Bliss”. The song was also awarded as the best song of the year in May 2005.
• Honorary guest in the Abraham Conservation Awards organized by WWF, Nepal in June 2005.
• Awarded the “Chinnalata Githi Puruskar” in Kathmandu for best female vocal performance in August 2005.
• Felicitated by the Metro FM 94.1, Kathmandu, Nepal in September 2005
• Awarded Best Devotional Album by the Tibetan Music Awards held in Mcleod Ganj(Delhi) on October 22 2005.  
• Ani Choying was declared as the Ambassador of World Kidney Day in the first ever launched ‘World Kidney Day’ celebrated in Nepal on the 8th of March 2006.
• Performed at the 10 year anniversary and fundraising event of the National Kidney Centre on 10th April 2007, Kathmandu

Conferences

• World Women’s Conference, Beijing Plus Five (2000), U.N. Headquarters, New York
• Sakyadita 6th International Conference of Buddhist Women (2000), Lumbini, Nepal
• Women of Peace Conference (2001), Torrino, Italy
• Harvard University Bridge Builders Conference (2003), Cambridge, Mass., US.
• World Social Forum, Mumbai, India.(Jan 2004)
• Conference in USA(March 2004)
• Attended and performed in the second global NRN conference held in BICC, Kathmandu, Nepal in October 2005              
• Attended the NRN Regional Conference in Germany in June 2006. Performed at the celebration of the 100 years of Buddhism in Hamburg, Germany.
• Attended and performed on the occasion of Nepal Day in Hmaburg on 5th May 2007

All of the money raised through Ani Choying's performances and record sales go directly to the Nuns Welfare Foundation.