Brian Zhu, erhu

Meet Brian

Brian performs on Show 449.

Brian Zhu (erhu), 17, hails from Andover, Massachusetts, and is a sophomore at Phillips Academy. He studies with Zou Hui, assistant professor at the Central Conservatory of Music and first chair of the zhonghu section of the China National Traditional Orchestra. Brian has learned songs from many different regions around China, each with its cultural and stylistic specialty (e.g., Xinjiang, Mongolian, Southern etc.) and repertoire of different instruments, such as violin, Suona, Chinese opera, and Xinjiang drums.

He has won first prizes at competitions like 敦煌 International Erhu Competition, Beijing Young Musician of the Year Competition, Central Conservatory of Music’s 音乐一起来 Competition, Summa Cum Laude Competition, and the Elite International Music Competition.

Brian also plays violin. At his current school he is the first chair of the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra, and at his previous school, he was the first chair of the Symphony Orchestra.

Outside of music, Brian enjoys math, physics, soccer, and leading online reading sessions in a community service initiative called the Xiao Zhen Library project. He cofounded this project while in Beijing, with the goal of providing an English learning environment to kids in the community.