Julia Zhou, piano

Meet Julia

Julia performed on Show 376 and on Show 446.

Julia Zhou (piano),16, is a sophomore at Acton Boxborough Regional High School in Massachusetts. She began playing violin and piano at age four and studied piano with Mr. Ronald Kmiec. She currently studies piano with Ms. Niva Fried at Groton Hill Music school and violin with Ms. Xue Chen.

Julia is a five-time first prize winner of the MMTA Bay State Piano Competition and is a top prize recipient of the Steinway Society of Massachusetts Piano Competition (first prize 2023; second prize 2022, 2021). She was the runner up for the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra (2021), Metrowest Symphony Orchestra (2018) and Ehlers Young Artist (2017) Concerto Competitions and performed with the Seven Hills Symphony and Concord Orchestras. She has also delivered solo performances at Boston’s Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall as part of National Public Radio’s From the Top Show 376 (2019). Julia was recently awarded first prize at the Charleston International Music, OPUS, and Sally Chapin Piano Competitions and is a top prize recipient of several other international competitions including the Rosalyn Tureck, Paderewski, Chopin, and American Protege International Piano Competitions.

Also a violinist, Julia is a member of NEC’s Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (YPO) and is the co-president of her high school’s orchestra. She is also the social media director and instructor for Notelove Boston, which provides free music lessons to underserved youth in the Greater Boston area.

Julia’s favorite composer is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, but outside of classical music, she also enjoys reading, baking, and learning new languages.

JULIA’S BIO FROM SHOW 376 IN 2019:
Julia Zhou (piano), 11, is a sixth grader at Stony Brook Middle School in Westford, Massachusetts. She studies piano with Ronald Kmiec and violin with Xue Chen. Julia performs with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Petite Ensemble, Westford Chamber Players, and has attended Indian Hill Music School Summer program. She was the third prize winner in the 5th Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition in New York, and was the runner-up of the Concord Orchestra’s Ehlers Young Artist Concerto Competition in 2017. Outside of music, Julia loves reading, writing, gymnastics, TaeKwonDo (Red Belt), fencing, traveling, and is an avid sports fan.