Jiao ZHANG

Pianist and chamber musician, Jiao Zhang began her musical career in her early childhood. She is currently completing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance under Professor Anton Nel, at The University of Texas’ Butler School of Music in the United States. There, in addition to her scholarship, she holds a full-time teaching assistant job.

Jiao Zhang earned her Master of Music degree in Performance and Literature at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Under the guidance of Professor Barry Snyder, she also further studied contemporary compositions written in the second half of the last century. While enrolled at Eastman, she received a package that included tuition scholarship and Graduate Award—Departmental Assistant. As a studio accompanist, Jiao was selected to collaborate with students of Eastman faculty including Lynn Blakeslee, Zvi Zeitlin, and Bonita Boyd. In November 2006, University of Rochester President Joel Seligman invited her to give a public performance at the President’s House.

Prior to her graduate studies, Ms. Zhang was selected as a scholarship recipient to study at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada. She studied with Professor Marietta Orlov and Jenny Regehr and received her Bachelor of Music degree in Performance. In 2003, Jiao collaborated with the GGS Summer Opera Workshop in their production of Mozart’s “Die Zauberflöte.” Performances were held at downtown Toronto and the York University, and were acclaimed by the local press. She also received her Advanced Certificate in Performance from the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto in 2005. In this program, Jiao took chamber music lessons with the members of the Gryphon Trio, the ensemble-in-residence at the Music Toronto chamber music series. Jiao performed regularly in solo and ensemble recitals at the RCM’s concert Hall and the Walter Hall in the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. While in Toronto, Jiao played for André Laplante, Marc Durand, John Perry, Marilyn Engle, Jane Coop, and Robert MacDonald.

Jiao Zhang began her musical training early in her native province Liaoning, China, with Professor Shi Jin and Jiayun Cao. Before moving to the North America, she spent from her pre-teen age years on in Beijing, at the Pre-College Schools affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music. There she studied with Professor Chen Bigang, Zhong Hui, and Lin Jingjing.