Daming Zhu

Daming Zhu was born in Shanghai, China, where he began his piano studies at the age of nine. In 1966, Mr. Zhu's music learning were interrupted by China's Cultural Revolution. Denied the right to continue his studies and sent to work on a state farm, he secretly exercised his fingers on a wooden board and hand copied many Western composers' piano works. Not until 1979 was he permitted to resume his studies as a graduate student of Gong-yi Zhu at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. While there, Mr. Zhu achieved the highest ratings in a series of piano auditions that were conducted nation-wide.

In 1981, Mr. Zhu came to the United States, and astonished international music scene by winning one of the major prizes in the Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Harold Schonberg, in his special report of the Van Cliburn Competition on the New York Times proclaimed, "Daming Zhu stirs the Cliburn Contest”. Since then, among many other prizes and awards, he has been the first prize winner in the Gina Bachauer Memorial International Scholarship Competition as well as the winner of the Juilliard Piano Concerto Competition.

Mr. Zhu has performed to critical acclaim throughout the Far East, Europe, and North America. He has appeared as recitalist as well as soloist with many orchestras including The Juilliard Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie from Germany, National Symphony of R.O.C. in Taiwan, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, China National Symphony Orchestra in Beijing, Taipei Philharmonic Symphony, San Jose Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Broadcasting Orchestra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, and China Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra.

On Washington Post, Joan Reinthaler entitled Mr. Zhu "a master of the affective idiom of 19th-century music. He is an artist with the technique of a true virtuoso who also has something to say". John Sweeney of Greenwich Time pointed out that "Zhu penetrated to the areas of perception where truth and vitality are fused as one". Charles Ward of the Houston Chronicle stated that Mr. Zhu presented, "a profound and memorable interpretive achievement”. Robert Scherman noted on the New York Times, "The exciting young Chinese virtuoso; a superb pianist”. Wayne Lee Gay of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram acclaimed Mr. Zhu as "One of the most remarkable pianist on the scene today".

Mr. Zhu has made numerous television and radio appearances in China, Hong Kong, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, Belgium, Germany and The United States, Including several performances on WQXR, the radio station of the New York Times. He also joined pianist Murray Perahia, Violinist Nigel Kennedy, and others in an ongoing project by the USA Public Broadcasting Service to record recitals by leading musicians for national airing. Since then Mr. Zhu's program has been heard several times across the North America.

Mr. Zhu received his Doctorate from the Juilliard School where he also received an unprecedented total of seven major awards. His mentors include Rudolf Firkušný, William Masselos, Oxana Yablonskaya, and Joseph Bloch. Mr. Zhu has been on the piano faculty of New York University, Teaching Fellow at the Juilliard School, Lecture-artist of the Lincoln Center Program. Frequently invited to conduct master classes in universities and colleges around the world (among others, Royal Academy of Music in London, Juilliard School in New York, Central Conservatory in Beijing, Music Festivals in Spain, Canada and U.S., etc.), and serve as a jury member for international piano competitions.

Mr. Zhu is currently on the piano faculty of Soochow University. Among the students he taught, some are prize winners of renowned international piano competitions, including The Leeds Competition in UK, Gina Bachauer Competition in USA, Geneva Competition in Switzerland, and Paulo Monopoli International Piano Competition in Italy, etc.

Daming Zhu's discography includes: Brahms Piano Concerto in d (Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra, cond. Henry Mazer, 1994); "Autumn" Guu Chyn and Piano Double Concerto (Taipei Chinese Orchestra, cond. Tsung Yeh, 1995); Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" in E flat (Video CD, Taipei Performer's Orchestra, cond. Marc Kissoczy 1996); Dun-Nan Liu's "Mountain and Forest" Piano Concerto (Hong Kong Sinfonietta, cond. Tsung Yeh, Hugo Recordings, 1998); His latest album released by the minister of culture in June 2010 is a world premier of Taiwan leading composer Lu Yian’s Piano concerto with National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan , Conducted by Wen Bin Chien.

　　His complete Chopin Preludes (Artistic Producer, Alan Silver of Connoisseur Society) will be soon released.