BIOGRAPHY

Tan Dun

Mr. Tan Dun is an Academy Award, Grammy, and BAFTA award–winning composer and conductor best known for writing the score for the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. 

After listening to my Bartok Viola Concerto, Academy, Grammy and BAFTA award-winning composer, Tan Dun concluded, “I was highly impressed with her playing, and found that many of her choices on the viola revealed an uncommon variety of techniques that served to bring out the richest and most affecting possible sound. Ms. Zhang’s playing in the Bartok concerto’s third movement also interpreted the music in a manner much more in line with Bartok’s original intent that the movement mimics the quality of the music that accompanied traditional Hungarian folk dance. 

Contemporary performances of Bartok have strayed from this tradition, making Ms. Zhang’s interpretation unusual and captivating and allowing audiences to hear a well-established piece played in a manner that was both truer to the composer’s intent and novel for contemporary ears. Ms. Zhang’s contribution to the world of classical music is significant. Her playing is bringing greater attention to the viola, an instrument often overlooked in the genre in favor of other string instruments. She is fostering cultural exchange between the United States and East Asia; and with her refined ear and nuanced technique, she is bringing rare and unique interpretations of classical music to American audiences. I strongly recommend Ms. Zhang to you.” 

Naoto Otomo

Maestro Naoto Otomo is the Music Director of the Gunma Symphony Orchestra since April 2013, an Honorary Guest Conductor of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra since April 2014, a Conductor Laureate of the Kyoto Symphony Orchestra since 2008, and a Music Advisor to the Ryukyu Symphony Orchestra since 2001 

“Violists such as Ms. Zhang are rare and vital in classical music. Not only is Ms. Zhang able to bring a rare level of skill and technique to the United States that will enrich any classical orchestral performance, but she is also uniquely able to draw an audience’s attention to the often–overlooked beauty of the viola. She is actively helping to reposition the viola as a featured instrument in classical music when it is more often regarded as an instrument best suited for accompaniment.”

Nicholas Phan

Tenor, Nicholas Phan is a Grammy–nominated singer who was named in 2011 one of National Public Radio’s Favorite New Artists. He has appeared with many leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, BBC Symphony, and the Lucerne Symphony among many others.

“An ear as sensitive as Ms. Zhang’s is rare indeed, and many otherwise expert players cannot achieve the necessary orchestral-choral balance in Bach’s Cantatas. Ms. Zhang played low notes with precise energy that gave stronger support and contrast to higher notes, leaving the viola’s higher register free to sing and revealing the extent of the viola’s range to a degree not typically exhibited by many players. Ms. Zhang is actively bolstering the relevance of the viola within the world of classical music, which will also continue to inspire future generations of musicians to take up the viola as their instrument of choice.” 

Ettore Causa

Considered one of the most brilliant violist performers and pedagogues of modern times, Ettore Causa is an Italian-born violist and professor at the Yale School of Music since 2009.  

He notes that Mrs. Zhang couples “…interpretative choices in her playing that make her work on the viola highly singular.”  He also praises her exceptional memory which he has witnessed first-hand in her performance of Bach’s Cello Suite No. 5 in C Minor (transcribed for viola), Penderecki’s Cadenza for solo viola, and Hindemith’s Viola Sonata Op.25 No.1 from memory, in their entirety, in a single recital.

Christopher Zimmerman

For 6 seasons, Mr. Christopher Zimmerman has served as Music Director of the prestigious Fairfax Symphony Orchestra which won Best Classical Orchestra Ensemble under his leadership in 2013 by Washington Area Musical Awards (WAMA). 

Maestro Zimmerman,“…immediately noticed and appreciated Ms. Zhang’s sensitivity as a violist. Her control of the viola is exceptional, and she makes musical choices that are clearly informed by a deep understanding of the pieces she plays.  She won a position in the orchestra… experienced performer of both traditional and modern classical music, capable of introducing mainstream audiences to works outside the ‘traditional’ classical cannon.”

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Mrs. Zhang’s importance in the field of music has resulted in numerous published articles, interviews, and features in professional and major trade media including newspapers and television.   

“The Teachers” – The Teachers is a Chinese nationwide newspaper focusing on matters of education and academia both domestically and internationally. 

On January 13, 2016, The Teachers reporter Ke Han wrote a profile of Mrs. Zhang on the occasion of Mrs. Zhang winning two notable awards for viola and receiving invitations to perform at prestigious events in Germany and Japan.

“New World Times” – Established in 1997, The New World Times is America’s first simplified Chinese newspaper.

On December 25, 2015, New World Times reporter Ho Fong conducted an in–depth interview about Mrs. Zhang’s musical experience of 20–plus years, her most influential international music performances, and her contributions to cultural exchange between the United States and China.

“SinoVision – New York Lounge” – For over 25 years, SinoVision has been the New York Metropolitan area’s leading Chinese-language TV station.

On January 13, 2016, the SinoVision English Channel interviewed Ms. Zhang, highlighting her musical accomplishments and her role in organizing the 2015 “The Piano, Strings, and Voice ” International Music Festival in the city of Xi’an, China.

“Shaanxi Daily” – With a 70-year publication history, Shaanxi Daily is the newspaper with the largest circulation in China’s extensive northwestern region, as well as the first provincial party newspaper with an international circulation.

On August 9, 2015, Shaanxi Daily writer Xianghong Li reported on “The Sound of Piano, Strings, and Voice” International Music Festival organized by Ms. Zhang in the city of Xi’an, China.