ZHANBO ZHENG
Violist
Violist Zhanbo Zheng has been praised for his “beautiful tone and control… tremendous energy and thoughtful musicality” (The Violinist) and for a sound “that projected miraculously” (Strings). He first gained international recognition after becoming the first Chinese violist ever to win the Primrose International Viola Competition, and has since earned top distinctions including Second Prize at the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the Washington International Competition for Strings. He is also a recipient of the Saint Botolph Club Foundation’s Emerging Artist Award.
A passionate chamber musician, Zheng has collaborated with renowned artists such as Midori, Jonathan Biss, Anthony McGill, and Gary Hoffman. He has performed with the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society as a guest artist, and his festival appearances include the Marlboro Music Festival, Music@Menlo, the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, the Verbier Festival Academy, the Krzyżowa-Music Festival, Caramoor Evnin Rising Stars, and ChamberFest Cleveland. His extensive touring includes national performances with Musicians from Marlboro, the Ravinia Steans Spring Tour, and A Far Cry, with appearances in major venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Kimmel Center, and the Kaufman Music Center.
As a soloist, Zheng has performed with orchestras including the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, China Broadcasting Performing Arts Orchestra, and the EOS Repertoire Orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music. He has also participated in international cultural exchange initiatives and recording projects that further highlight his artistic versatility.
With a distinctive voice and a breadth of musical experiences across solo, chamber, and orchestral performance, Zhanbo Zheng continues to shape a career marked by expressive depth, technical mastery, and international acclaim.