PERFORMANCE

Qianyu Zhang is an accordionist that begun learning the accordion at the young age of four. She has had the privilege of receiving musical instruction from acclaimed professors in China, including Professor Cao Xiaoqing and Professor Huang Hu.

During Qianyu Zhang’s early childhood, she had the chance to compete in many domestic accordion competitions, winning many of them at national level. Later, Qianyu was selected by her tutors at The Central Conservatory of Music affiliated Middle School, China’s leading middle school of music, to compete on their behalf, placing at numerous competitions, such as the International Accordion Competition Klingenthal in Germany. In 2013, Zhang was given the title “Youth Artist” by the Ministry of Culture of China.

Entering The Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing in 2013, Zhang grew as a solo accordionist and as a lead member of her accordion trio group, the VIVA Accordion Trio. She continues to win awards for her performances for both her solo and ensemble performances. VIVA won first place at the International of Accordion Competition at Harbin.

Qianyu arrived in London in 2017. Subsequently, she received her Master degree and Advanced Diploma with distinctions from the Royal Academy of Music, studying under the tutorage of Professor Owen Murray. Qianyu has experimented combining the accordion with string music, piano, percussion music, electronic music, and voice, to form chamber music with more forms.

Qianyu is a member of the the London-based Nuevo Tango Quintet. Blending classical, jazz and traditional tango music, the Nuevo Tango Quintet is formed of postgraduate students and alumni from the Royal Academy of Music. The Nuevo Tango Quintet had performed in various venues in London, including live on BBC Channel 3.

Qianyu has also performed solo pieces at Wigmore Hall, collaborated with Royal Opera House composers, and performed in concerts conducted by the famous Icelandic conductor, Ashkenazy.