KEVIN ZHU
VIOLINIST
LIVE FROM HOME
Although live concerts may be canceled and halls closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, music lives on in our homes, whether permanent or temporary, as a primary source of comfort, expression, and human connection. We may be isolated physically, but our hearts always return to the core principles that brought us together in the first place: love, hope, and empathy. To all my friends, collaborators, and followers, wherever you may be in the world, I truly wish that you are safe and happy. I miss you all immensely, and I especially miss the personal bonds and little moments of happiness shared in the music-creating process - whether that be in rehearsal, on stage, or in the audience.
We are incredibly lucky and fortunate to have tools and resources that allow us to share and listen to music online. Below are some of the online events that I have been taking part in - stay tuned for more updates!
- Kevin
March 11, 2021
Special news
March 11, 2021
New video series
Works by Brahms, Wieniawski, and Leclair
with Rohan De Silva, piano; Nathan Meltzer, violin
March 7, 2021
Recital livestream
Selections from Paganini 24 Caprices
Conversation with Jan Vogler, host
January 19, 2021
Concert on demand
October 4, 2020
New video series
September 5, 2020
Recital livestream
May 16 - 17, 2020
24 hour livestream marathon
Works by Paganini and Strauss
April 11, 2020
Recital livestream
April 8, 2020
Recital livestream
Works by Ysaÿe, Debussy, Paganini, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, and Kreisler
April 5, 2020
Concert on demand
Bologna, Italy - Teatro Comunale
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
Orchestra del TC di Bologna
Giedre Šlekyte, conductor
March 27 - 28, 2020
24 hour livestream marathon
BIOGRAPHY
Twenty-year-old Kevin Zhu has amassed an outstanding record of concert performances and competition wins since he began playing violin at age three. Praised for his “awesome technical command and maturity” (The Strad) and “absolute virtuosity, almost blinding in its incredible purity” (L’ape musicale), Kevin regularly performs on the world’s largest stages, ranging from Carnegie Hall in New York to London’s Royal Festival Hall to the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing. Initially coming to international attention after winning the 2018 Paganini Competition and 2012 Yehudi Menuhin Competition, he has established himself as a leading figure among the next generation of musicians, astonishing audiences with his peerless technical mastery and inimitable artistic voice.
In the 2020-21 season, Kevin will debut with the Richmond Symphony and returns to the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, performing Elgar’s Violin Concerto. He also embarks on a project to perform Paganini’s complete 24 Caprices in one concert, one of few violinists to ever do so.
Recent performing highlights include concerto appearances with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Virtuosi, and China Philharmonic Orchestra. A highly sought-after recitalist, he has toured across the United States and Europe with repertoire ranging from Beethoven to contemporary commissions. Kevin is also a passionate chamber musician, collaborating with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Lawrence Power, and Jan Vogler.
In addition to his efforts on stage, Kevin serves as a Culture Ambassador of the Lin Yao Ji Music Foundation of China. He has repeatedly been featured on BBC Radio 3, NPR’s From the Top, and RAI Radio 3, and is the recipient of a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant.
Kevin is a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School, where he studies with Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin. Kevin performs on the c1722 “Lord Wandsworth” Antonio Stradivari violin, which is on loan from the Ryuji Ueno Foundation and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.
CONCERTS
April 16 - 18, 2021
Richmond, VA - Dominion Energy Center | Carpenter Theatre
Classics | Masterworks Series
Joseph Bologne: Violin Concerto in A major, Op. 5 No. 2
with Richmond Symphony
Chia-Hsuan Lin, conductor
April 16 - 7:00 PM
April 17 - 8:00 PM | Livestream also available
April 18 - 3:00PM
June 7 - 8, 2021
Dresden, Germany - Schloss Wackerbarth
Dresdner Musikfestspiele
Paganini: 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Op. 1
June 7
June 8 - SOLD OUT
August 7, 2021
Hydra, Greece - Metropolitan Monastery
Paganini: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major, Op. 6
with Musicians from the Athens State Orchestra
Conductor TBA
VIDEOS
GALLERY
CONTACT
For general management, booking, and other inquiries, please contact:
MANAGEMENT
China (incl. HK, Macau, and Taiwan)
美杰音乐 / Major Performing Arts Group
刘益生 / Eason Liu
+86 138 0103 5030
刘依 / Amaya Liu
+86 187 1013 8080
To contact Kevin directly, please use the form below.
Photo credits
Giusi Lorelli:
Andrea Ranzi:
Aurora Ghigino