Ying Zhang, a brilliant young Chinese cellist，has shown outstanding musical talent since she was a child. She began studying cello when she was four years old and was later to the Central Conservatory of Music in her 19th year. In May 2011, Ying Zhang graduated from Yale School of music with Master of Music degree as an honours student following with the well-known Professor Aldo Parisot. Following, she obtained her DMA from The University of Texas at Austin under Professor Bion Tsang.

Nowadays, Ying is one of the cellists in Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra and also playing with San Antonio Symphony Orchestra and Austin Symphony Orchestra. She is also an active solo player, held solo concerts with Balcones Orchestra of Austin in the past seasons.

Ying won the 1st prize of NYIAA (New York International Competition) and held solo recital in Carnegie Hall in 2016. She also won the second price of the Grand Virtuoso International Music Competition. And she was the winner of the “Aldo Parisot prize” while studying at Yale, the gold medal at the “6th Cello Concerto Competition” of the Central Conservatory of Music and also received a number of awards in the “4th Central Conservatory of Music Cello Competition” and the “5th National Cello Competition”. Ying has honored to be the recipient of the ‘cello friend’ scholarship from the University of Texas.

Ying Zhang

Cello

 At the same time, she has also been fortunate to enjoy working with world-famous musicians such as YoYo Ma, Krzysztof Penderecki, Wang Jian, Tan Dun, Kirill Shakhovskaya, Natalia, Andress Diaz, Desmond Hebig and Matian Wasiolka. In 2018, Ying was honored to be participant in YMCG which directed by YoYo Ma and the Silk Road Band. In June 2008, she played and published the cello version of the Olympic theme song ‘You and Me’ for 2008 Olympic Games, and the CD album is widely broadcasted. Other than that, Ying has two more albums name ‘Dream Chronicles’ and ‘Ave Maria’ published in 2007 and 2008.

Through her long-term study of the cello and extensive performances in China and abroad, Ying has established a far-reaching reputation in cello performance. Her unique style embodies a richness of sound and depth of passion, combined with a young and yet elegant stage temperament. Her recital repertoire is extensive; from Baroque to Classical and Romantic to Modernist, where her interpretive skills have gained unanimous praise from music experts worldwide. She has been invited to participate in a number of important performances in music festivals in Canada, Germany, Italy and other countries.

Highlights of Ying’s career include a large number of highly acclaimed performances. She has been fortunate to work with Krzysztof Penderecki and played his cello piece ‘Saranade’ and his Orchestra work ‘Requiem’ in Carnegie Hall under Peneresky’s conduct. At the same time, Ying has also played her chamber concert in Carnegie Hall and has recently performed famous American composer Steve Bryant’s cello concerto with UT Wind Symphony in Austin. In 2008, she performed Tan Dun’s 12 cellos concerto with Orchestra under his conducting.

With her talent, she has her performing of Haydn’s “Cello Concerto in C Major” with orchestra at the age of 8. Ying held a number of personal recital concerts all around the world; she performed Elgar’s “Cello Concerto in E Minor” with the Xia Men Philharmonic Orchestra under conductor Zheng Xiao Ying. In June 2005 .Ying performed Chinese Composer Ma Sicong’s “Cello Concerto” with Conductor Chu Yibing and the China Youth Symphony Orchestra in the “5th Gold Bell Award” opening ceremony concert in the Xing Hai Concert Hall in Guang Zhou. She has also participated in ‘Morning side Music Bridge’ in Canada in 2003. The performances were memorable and much acclaimed success.

In the “Beijing Modern Music Festival –2004”, Ying performed the Chinese premier of contemporary American composer Philip Lasser’s “Cello Sonata”.

Ying has been working with Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra since 2012, and played in San Antonio Symphony, and she performed frequently as principal cello or soloist with the “Yale Philharmonic Orchestra”, “University of Texas Symphony Orchestra” and “University of Texas Wind Symphony”. Ying worked with many famous soloist, composer and conductors, including Dun Tan, Krzysztof Penderecki, Robert Blocker and Langlang etc. Ying was teaching assistance to teach advanced level players when studying at the Central Conservatory, also has her studio since then. She’s been teaching from intermediate level to advanced level students throughout her career.

Ying is one of the founders of the ‘China Philharmonic Cello Octet Group’ which is famous and widely welcomed in China, and this group has two CD albums published. Recently, she has been working on her new group ‘Long Horn cello quartet’ which has been held since last year. And in March of 2007 she was invited to participate in the “Kronos Workshop” and perform in the Quartet Ensemble in South Korea, as founder of Sonork Quartet. In the same year, she won first prize in the “Central Conservatory of Music Chamber Music Competition” with her string quartet and in May 2007 Sonork Quartet was invited by Siemens Co Ltd in the Royal Granary, Beijing. Ying has been active in Chamber music.