Nancy Zhou (born January 5, 1993) is a Chinese-American classical violinist. She has performed as a soloist in recital and with orchestras throughout the world. Zhou has been a prizewinner in several major competitions, including first prizes in the 2018 Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition[ Laureates of 2018 SISIVC . Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition. Retrieved 2018-09-02.][ Nancy Zhou wins Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition 2018. The Strad, 1 Sep 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-02.] and the 2018 International Music Competition Harbin.[ Nancy Zhou wins $50,000 first prize at International Music Competition Harbin. The Strad, 25 Jan 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-28.]
Early life and musical training
Zhou was born in
San Antonio. From her mother's side, she is of
Bouyei people descent, one of the 55 ethnic minorities in China. Zhou's mother was a member of a folk-dance group in
Guiyang, China.
Zhou began violin study at age four with her father, Long Zhou, who continued to be her teacher throughout her youth. She graduated from the
Keystone School in San Antonio.
Zhou studied with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory and also took lessons from Paul Kantor[Nancy Zhou profile, XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition program book, 2011.] and David Nadien.[ Nancy Zhou wins $50,000 first prize at International Music Competition Harbin. The Strad, 25 Jan 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-28.] She graduated from Harvard University in 2017.[ Strings in Motion Members. Retrieved 2012-02-27.]
Zhou also acknowledges the mentorship of violinists Anne-Sophie Mutter and Weigang Li, as well as of Augustin Dumay,[ Nancy Zhou: Teaching. Retrieved 2023-04-03.] with whom she studied at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Waterloo, Belgium, where she earned an Artist Diploma and later held the title of Associate Artist.[ Nancy Zhou, violin. San Diego Symphony. Retrieved 2023-04-03.]
Competitions
Zhou received recognition at numerous competitions, including several top prizes:
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2003 Kingsville (Texas) International Violin Competition, Director's Prize
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2004 Pearl Amster Competition (Austin, Texas), Winner
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2006 Pearl Amster Competition, Winner
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2006 International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition (Poznań, Poland), Stage 2 (quarterfinalist)
[ 13th International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition Participants. Retrieved 2025-09-19.]
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2007 San Antonio Symphony Competition, Grand Prize
[Nancy Zhou profile, XIV International Tchaikovsky Competition program book, 2011.]
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2009 Johansen International Competition, 1st prize
[ Complete List of JIC Winners. Friday Morning Music Club Foundation Competitions. Retrieved 2025-05-31.]
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2009 China International Violin Competition, 1st prize
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2010 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition (Helsinki, Finland), finalist and recipient of the Rastor special award for the best performance of Kaija Saariaho's Tocar
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2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition, semifinalist
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2012 Queen Elisabeth Competition, Laureate
[ Andrey Baranov has won the 2012 violin competition. Queen Elisabeth Competition. Retrieved 2012-05-26.]
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2014 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, semifinalist and winner of the top prize for Best Performance of Paganini Caprices
[ Special Prizes and Gala Closing Ceremony in the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis by Laurie Niles. Violinist.com. Retrieved 2014-09-22.]
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2015 International Joseph Joachim Violin Competition, Hannover, semifinalist
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2015 International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, finalist
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2017 Isang Yun Competition, 2nd prize
[ Prizes Awarded at Korea's 2017 IsangYun International Violin Competition. The Violin Channel, 04 Nov 2017. Retrieved 2017-11-05.]
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2018 International Music Competition Harbin, 1st prize ($50,000)
[ Nancy Zhou wins $50,000 first prize at International Music Competition Harbin. The Strad, 25 Jan 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-28.]
-
2018 Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition, 1st prize ($100,000)
[ Laureates of 2018 SISIVC . *Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition. Retrieved 2018-09-02.][ Nancy Zhou wins Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition 2018. The Strad, 1 Sep 2018. Retrieved 2018-09-02.]
Performing and teaching career
Zhou has performed as a soloist with the China National Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Hanover State Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra, Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, San Diego Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Philharmonic, Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Guiyang Symphony Orchestra, Jakarta Simfonia, La Jolla Symphony, Inner Mongolia Art Theater Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra da Camera di Perugia, Orchestra del Teatro Goldoni di Livorno
, Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, Baden-Baden Philharmonic, New York Classical Players, Queens Symphony Orchestra,
Oulu Symphony, Kalisz Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Central Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra, Kuopio Symphony Orchestra, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Kunming Nie'Er Symphony Orchestra, Tutan Festival Orchestra, and several other orchestras, and has performed recitals in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Austria,
[ Strings in Motion Members. Retrieved 2012-02-27.] China, Taiwan, Russia, Finland, Poland, Germany, South Korea, Armenia, Mexico, Spain, Portugal, Canada, and Belgium. She has collaborated with conductors Zhang Jiemin, Michael Stern, Christopher Seaman, Xian Zhang,
Sakari Oramo, Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Sebastian Lang-Lessing,
Ken-David Masur, Anna-Maria Helsing
,
Atso Almila, Jurjen Hempel
, John Storgårds, Junping Qian, Hu Yongyan, Jaap van Zweden, Adam Klocek,
Jaime Laredo,
Peter Oundjian,
Garrett Keast, Sergey Smbatyan, Gábor Hontvári
, Eun Sun Kim,
Christoph Poppen,
Muhai Tang, Dongmin Kim, Lio Kuokman,
Jeffrey Kahane, Sameer Patel,
Kevin Field, Huang Yi, Yang Yang, Rebecca Tong, François López-Ferrer, and
Hannu Lintu.
From 2008 to 2018, she was sponsored by the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, frequently collaborating with the German violinist on tours in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. and receiving scholarships generously endowed by the foundation.
Zhou teaches violin as a member of the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.[ Nancy Zhou, violin. San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Retrieved 2024-02-29.] In October 2023, she was announced as the Artist in Residence and Concertmaster for the Santa Cruz Symphony in Santa Cruz, California.[[18] Santa Cruz Symphony welcomes Nancy Zhou as the newest artist in residence]
Discography
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Bach: Concerto for 2 Violins, Strings and Basso continuo, soloist for 3rd movement with Anne-Sophie Mutter. Anne-Sophie Mutter: The Club Album: Live from Yellow Lounge (2015). Deutsche Grammophon 479 5023. (Zhou performs as a member of Mutter's Virtuosi for other selections on the album.)
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STORIES (re)TRACED (2025 recorded). Works for solo violin by Ysaÿe, Bartók, Bach, and Kreisler. Orchid Classics ORC100379.
[ STORIES (re)TRACED. Retrieved 2025-04-23.]
External links
Nancy Zhou's
webpage
