Piano Concerto "Splendor"

[Roy Bland]

ZHAO ZHANG
Zhang Zhao is among the most active and prolific contemporary Chinese composers, currently signed to German music publisher Schott, as well as a professor at the school of music of MINZU University of China. As a recipient of many national awards and reputation, Zhang has been invited to create works for many well-known musicians, including Sheng Zhongguo, Lang Lang, Yundi Li and Han Lei. Zhang was also the first Chinese composer to have his works chosen by the ABRSM, Trinity College London and the national piano grading of Australia as official audition selections.

Zhang Zhao was born in Yunnan, China, and grew up in the Ailao mountainous region of southern Yunnan before the age of fourteen, during which period he received much exposure to local folk music. Since his youth he enjoyed a love for art, poetry and calligraphy. He began learning yangqin with his mother Ma Jingfeng at the age of five, violin at six, piano at seven, and accordion at ten. When he was eleven years old, he began studying composition with his father Zhang Nan. At the age of fourteen he entered the Provincial Arts School at Dianchi Lake for studying piano for five years. During this time he started composing and wrote a large number of works for piano, violin, vocal and orchestra. After he entered MINZU University of China, he studied with Prof. Xia Zhongtang and Prof. Xiang Shizhong, and graduated from the school of music with a double major in both piano and composition in 1987.