Leia Zhu
Leia Zhu | |
|---|---|
 Zhu in June 2019 | |
| Born | Leia Zhengying Zhu October 2006 (age 17) Newcastle upon Tyne, England |
| Occupation | Violinist |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Website | leiazhu |
Leia Zhengying Zhu (Chinese: 朱蕾雅, born in October 2006) is a British violinist. In 2019, she became the youngest artist to be managed by the London-based artist agency HarrisonParrott and is a Young Artist-in-Residence with the London Mozart Players.[1][2]
Early life and education[edit]
Leia Zhengying Zhu[3] was born in October 2006, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, to Yanhong Bi[4] and a Chinese father.[5] She also has a younger brother named Leo.[6] Zhu was given a violin by her grandmother at the age of three after being interested in classical music,[7][8] which her parents often listened to.[9] Her first public performance was at the North East Last Night of the Proms an Newcastle City Hall, at four years old.[5]
Zhu attended Fellside Community Primary School in Gateshead,[4] and St Edward's School in Oxford.[5][8] She is fluent in English and Chinese, and is learning French and German.[8]
Career and other ventures[edit]
Zhu first performed overseas at the age of six in Spain.[4][8] She has performed with ensembles such as the Belgian National Orchestra,[10][11] Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra,[12] Festival Strings Lucerne,[13] Russian State Symphony Orchestra,[14][15] Mariinsky Orchestra,[16][17] and English Chamber Orchestra,[18] and at overseas venues and festivals including Salzburg Festival,[19] Rheingau Musik Festival,[20] Royal Festival Hall,[21] Barbican Centre,[22] Cadogan Hall London,[18] Berlin Philharmonie,[23] and Queen Elizabeth Hall.[24]
In 2019, Zhu became the youngest artist to be managed by the London-based artist agency HarrisonParrott,[2] and Youngest Artist in Residence with the London Mozart Players in 2021.[8][25] She performed a violin solo of "You Raise Me Up" with Irish boy band Westlife during a 2021 livestream.[5]
Zhu has been involved in education outreach programmes established by London Mozart Players, promoting classical music to young people.[7][8] In 2020, she entered a partnership between Google Arts and Culture and HarrisonParrott on YouTube, introducing and performing works by Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst.[26][27] Zhu has also shown interest in filmmaking, having a film shortlisted at CineMagic in 2020.[5][6] She published her autobiography titled Bows, Strings, and Dreams in October 2023.[28]
References[edit]
- ^ "Players". London Mozart Players. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ a b "HarrisonParrott Welcomes British Violinist Leia Zhu To Its Roster for WWorldwide General Management". HarrisonParrott. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "International Holocaust Commemoration Day Ceremony" (PDF). European Parliament. 24 January 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
- ^ a b c Marsh, Michael (30 March 2015). "Gateshead wonderkid Leia Zhu, Eight, wins international contest with amazing violin performance". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Davis, Barry (15 January 2023). "Young, talented and restless". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Sibling violinists shortlisted for Filmmaker award | ZChannel". 19 September 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ a b Savant, Samir (October 2023). "Artist on Artist: Leia Zhu Talks to Samir Savant". St George's Bristol. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Platt, Poppie (3 October 2021). "Why mind music is key to 14-year-old violin prodigy Leia". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "Spotlight on Leia Zhu". Philharmonia. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
- ^ "BOZAR | Belgium | 9-year-old Leia Zhu with Belgian National Orchestra". Belgian National Orc. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Our Alumni". Musica Mundi School. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "LEIA ZHU". Violinist.com. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Programmheft_Sicherungll+.indd". Mozartfest Würzburg.
- ^ "Телеканал "Россия К" отметил юбилей гала-концертом". tvkultura.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "ТЕЛЕКАНАЛУ "РОССИЯ К" – 20! Юбилейный гала-концерт / Телеканал "Россия – Культура"". tvkultura.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Leia Zhu". www.mariinsky.ru. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "03 June 2019 (Mon), 19:00 - Musical Olympus (Concert) - World famous Mariinsky Ballet and Opera Theatre - Opera and Concert Hall - BalletAndOpera.com". balletandopera.com. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ a b "English Chamber Orchestra". www.englishchamberorchestra.co.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "10-year-old Junior Guildhall violinist Leia Zhu becomes the youngest musician to perform in the Salzburg Festival". www.gsmd.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Concert archive - Festival Strings Lucerne". www.festivalstringslucerne.org. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "9-year-old Leia Zhu @ Royal Festival Hall, London". www.9yearold-leia-zhu-r.leiazhu.info. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "London Schools Symphony Orchestra/Peter Ash – Roald Dahl's The Minpins, with music by Sibelius". The Classical Source. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ Philharmoniker, Berliner. "Concert with Kristina Georgieva, Leia Zhu, Matthew Hunter, Dongkyu Kim, Sebastian Tievenow | Berliner Philharmoniker". www.berliner-philharmoniker.de. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "A Fresh Take on Beethoven". www.southbankcentre.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "London Mozart Players name violin prodigy Leia Zhu as artist in residence". The Strad. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
- ^ "Leia Zhu introduces the composer Ernst". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
- ^ "Leia Zhu launches HP partnership with Google Arts & Culture". HarrisonParrott. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
- ^ "Leia Zhu publishes her first book, Bows, Strings and Dreams | HarrisonParrott". HarrisonParrott. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.