The Texas-born violinist described the institution as a ‘vital cultural voice in today’s world’
The Chinese–American violinist Nancy Zhou has been appointed as resident faculty to the Tianjin Juilliard School, China. She will take up her new role in September 2026. Zhou will teach in both the graduate studies and pre-college programmes.
‘The Tianjin Juilliard School is a true beacon of multiculturalism and a vital cultural voice in today’s world,’ Zhou commented. ‘I’m deeply honoured to become part of this vibrant community, and together with students and colleagues, we will continue to explore critical thinking and the profound power of music to express our shared humanity.’
Texas-born Zhou hails from a family of musicians and was initially taught the violin by her father. She went on to study with Miriam Fried at New England Conservatory while simultaneously studying literature at Harvard University. Since 2019, she has served as an associated artist of the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel and in 2023 took up a three-year appointment as professor of violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has won numerous competitions including first prizes at the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players in Washington DC; China International Violin Competition Qingdao, the International Music Competition Harbin and Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition.
In the two decades since making her orchestral debut, Zhou has has performed with leading ensembles including the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Munich Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and major US orchestras. She is a regular at prestigious festivals such as Verbier, Tongyeong and Marvão.
As the branch campus of the century-old Juilliard School in New York, Tianjin Juilliard aims to bring the US institute’s artistic and educational mission to a wider global audience. It is the first institution in China to confer a US-accredited Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School.
No comments yet