She has been dubbed "The Voice of Harmony" for her efforts to spread Chinese music, culture, and goodwill through her professional and philanthropic contributions.
[2] Tan has also starred in the original national operas Ode to Mulan and The White Haired Girl, musicals Crazy Snow, Jasmine, and In That Distant Place, and other plays.
Tan was a torchbearer for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and her song, Sky, was used to accompany the releasing of the doves during the Opening Ceremony.
[4] She began performing as a solo singer in the Song and Dance Ensemble in 1998 and gained further recognition for winning second place at the Voice of Asia Music Competition in Kazakhstan where she represented China the same year.
[4] In 2000, she won the Professional Pop category of the BuBuGao National Young Vocalist Competition sponsored by CCTV and was honored as the Most Popular Singer.
[citation needed] In 2011, she collaborated with Robert Wells, Glenn Hughes, Wynne Evans, and Blake to bring a set of her most famous songs in a blend of Chinese and Western styles to a sold out audience at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
[citation needed] Tan is married to Deng Zhonghan, founder of Vimicro Corporation and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.