Kevin Zhu (Chinese: 朱凯源, born on November 27, 2000) is an American concert violinist. He is a recipient of the 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant[1] and was the first prize winner of the 55th edition of the International Paganini Competition in Genoa, Italy, aged just 17.[2] He was also the first prize winner in the junior division of the 2012 Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists in Beijing, China.[3][4] In 2019, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall at Weill Recital Hall.[5]

Kevin Zhu
Born (2000-11-27) November 27, 2000 (age 23)
Maryland, U.S.A.
GenresClassical
InstrumentViolin

Biography

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Born in Maryland, USA, Kevin Zhu started playing violin at the age of 3. He attended elementary and middle schools in Cupertino, California. He was a pre-college student of Li Lin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.[6] As a recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School, Zhu is studying along with Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin.[3]

Following his success at the Menuhin Competition and Paganini competition, Zhu has been a featured soloist with orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra,[7] the Vienna Chamber Orchestra,[4] the Moscow Virtuosi Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra,[3] and the China Philharmonic Orchestra.[8] He also performs solo recitals across the United States, Italy, Germany, England, Poland, China, and Lebanon. Zhu has repeatedly been featured on BBC Radio 3 and NPR's From the Top.[6] In 2021-2022, Zhu will perform on a multi-city tour of Italy and will perform a project that involves to play all of Paganini's 24 caprices in one concert.[3][9]

Zhu currently performs on the 1722 ‘Lord Wandsworth’ Stradivarius violin — on long term loan to him from the Ryuji Ueno Foundation and the Rare Violins of New York "In Consortium".[3]

Awards and appearances

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References

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  1. ^ a b "The Avery Fisher Career Grants | Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts". about.lincolncenter.org. Retrieved 2021-04-22.
  2. ^ a b c "BREAKING | 17 Year Old VC Young Artist Kevin Zhu Awarded 1st Prize at Paganini Competition". www.theviolinchannel.com. 2018-04-14. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "VC YOUNG ARTIST | Kevin Zhu — "Absolute Virtuosity, Almost Blinding in its Incredible Purity"". www.theviolinchannel.com. 2021-11-09. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  4. ^ a b "VC YOUNG ARTIST | Kevin Zhu, 16 – Youngest Menuhin Competition Prize Winner". www.theviolinchannel.com. 2017-05-24. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  5. ^ a b "Paganini Honors Paganini | Oct 30, 2019 at 8 PM". www.carnegiehall.org. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  6. ^ a b "Kevin Zhu". From the Top. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  7. ^ "St Valentines Day Gala Concert - Philharmonia Orchestra". www.weekendnotes.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  8. ^ 周冰. "A celebration in strings". global.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2020-09-13.
  9. ^ VC LIVE | 2022 Montréal Chamber Music Festival Presents: Paganini – Date with the Devil, retrieved 2022-10-31
  10. ^ "Kovner Fellowship Program | The Juilliard School". www.juilliard.edu. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  11. ^ "Salon de Virtuosi Announces 2021 Career Grants". www.theviolinchannel.com. 2021-06-17. Retrieved 2021-11-14.
  12. ^ Channel, The Violin (2024-06-01). "BREAKING | Dmytro Udovychenko Awarded 1st Prize at Brussel's Queen Elisabeth Competition". World's Leading Classical Music Platform. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
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