Dan Zhu, named "one of the emerging Chinese international artists today" by Gramophone magazine, and called "an artist of affecting humility and beautiful tone production" by The Strad magazine, Dan Zhu is quickly gaining world recognition. He performs regularly in North America, Europe, and Asia, and has appeared as soloist with l'Orchestre national de Belgique, National Symphony Orchestra of China, Hong Kong Philharmonic, l'Orchestre national d'Île de France, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, and l'Orchestre royal de chambre de Wallonie. As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with such artists as Philippe Entremont, Richard Goode, Paul Meyer, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, performing at Marlboro Festival (USA), Prades-Casals Festival, Festival Pont-Levoy, Festival de Giverny (France), and Spoleto Festival (Italy).
Dan Zhu begins his 2009-10 season with a return to the North Netherlands Orchestra, immediately followed by a recital tour in South Africa. Other season appearances include performances with the Waterbury (CT) Symphony in Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, New Philharmonic of New Jersey in Prokofiev's Concerto No. 2, and Summit (NJ) Symphony in Barber's Violin Concerto. He returns in recital to Grand Salon des Invalides in Paris; performs recitals in Ravinia's "Rising Star" Series and in Washington, D.C.; and appears at the Hong Kong Chamber Music Festival, with the Shanghai Sinfonietta and the Macao Symphony.
Recent recitals include appearances in London (British Museum), New York (Carnegie's Weill Hall), Mexico City (Festival de Mexico), Paris (Salle Gaveau), and Washington D.C. (National Gallery of Art). Other highlights include European performances at the Chateau Fontainebleu Festival (with Philippe Entremont), Festival Pablo Casals (France), Gitlis Festival (Netherlands), and in solo recital at Festival Musical Chateauneuf-le-Rouge.
Zhu has toured fifteen cities in Germany and England with the Munich Symphony Orchestra under Philippe Entremont, performed with the Witold Lutoslawski Philharmonic Orchestra in Poland, Vienna Chamber Orchestra at the Santo-Domingo Festival, and in New Year's concerts with Lang Lang and the China Philharmonic in Beijing. Additionally, he played with the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra in China under Long Yu. His performances have been heard on CBC (Canada), NHK (Japan), Radio-France, and RAI (Italy). In 2007, the Swiss label Cascavelle released Zhu's recording of César Franck sonatas with pianist Philippe Entremont. The album was awarded four stars by Le Monde de La Musique.
Zhu has won several prestigious international competitions including laureates at Concours Reine Elisabeth in Brussels, Concours Musical International de Montréal, bronze medals at the Sendai International Music Competition in Japan and at the China International Violin Competition, and first prize at the Waldo Mayo Memorial Competition for Young Gifted Violinists.
Dan Zhu, a native of Beijing, made his first public appearance at the age of nine, performing the Mendelssohn violin concerto with the China Youth Chamber Orchestra. At age twelve he entered the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he studied with Xiao-zhi Huang. Four years later Zhu was awarded the Alexis Gregory Scholarship to study with Lucie Robert at Mannes College of Music in New York. At eighteen, he made his Carnegie Hall debut, performing the Tchaikovsky violin concerto under David Gilbert. In 2003, he received the Premier Prix de Violon of the Fontainebleau American Conservatory. Zhu also works with Ivry Gitlis, Gerard Poulet, and Aaron Rosand. His interest in other artistic fields led to a close association with the celebrated French architect group, Arte-Charpentier. Together they have made a series of creative collaborations between music and architecture in Paris and Shanghai.
Dan Zhu lives in Brooklyn, New York and plays a 1763 Carlo Antonio Testore violin, on generous loan from the Alexis Gregory Foundation.
