Twelve Girls Ban (traditional Chinese: 女子十二樂坊; simplified Chinese: 女子十二乐坊; pinyin: Nǚzǐ shí'èr Yùefǎng, sometimes abbreviated to 女樂 or 女乐) is a music women artists group who started with twelve members but later become thirteen, that use traditional Chinese instruments to play both traditional Chinese and Western songs. Formed on June 18, 2001, the women were selected by audition from more than 4,000 contestants. Each woman is classically-trained, and the band members come from various conservatories in the People's Republic of China (PRC), including the China Academy of Music, the Chinese National Orchestra, and the Central Conservatory of Music.