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Leia Zhu

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Leia Zhu
Zhu at the Opus Klassik Awards in 2025
Born
Leia Zhengying Zhu

October 2006 (age 19)
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
OccupationViolinist
Years active2010–present
Websiteleiazhu.info

Leia Zhengying Zhu (Chinese: 朱蕾雅; born October 2006) is a British-Chinese violinist. She has performed internationally as a soloist with orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, and at venues and festivals including the BBC Proms, Royal Albert Hall, Wigmore Hall, Salzburg Festival and Lucerne Festival.[1][2] Her debut recording, Saint-Saëns: The Complete Concertos (2025), received a five-star review from BBC Music Magazine.[3] For the recording, she received the Opus Klassik Young Talent of the Year Award in 2025.[4]

Early life and education

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Zhu was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and raised in Northumberland.[5][6] After hearing the violin on the radio as a young child, she asked her parents if she could learn to play.[2][7] She received a violin from her grandmother at the age of three, and the first piece she learned to play was "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star".[8][9][10] She later studied with Itzhak Rashkovsky.[2]

She attended St Edward's School, a boarding school in Oxford, leaving full-time education in 2023 with eight A* grades at GCSE.[11] In 2024, she completed the Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA) from the London Institute of Banking & Finance at the age of seventeen.[12][13]

Career

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Zhu made her public debut at the age of four at Newcastle City Hall at the North East Last Night of the Proms, before an audience of around 2,000.[14][15][2] She first performed overseas at the age of six, touring nine cities across Spain with an American orchestra.[16][9][2] In 2019, at the age of twelve, she became the youngest artist signed by HarrisonParrott, represented by its co-founder and executive chairman Jasper Parrott.[17][18] In 2021, at the age of fourteen, she became Artist-in-Residence of the London Mozart Players.[19][18][6]

As a soloist, Zhu has appeared with orchestras including the London Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Russian National Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland and Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. Her performances have taken place at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, European Parliament, Wigmore Hall, Barbican Centre, Royal Festival Hall, Guildhall, Berlin Philharmonie, Tonhalle Zürich, KKL Luzern, Mariinsky Theatre, Konzerthaus Berlin and BOZAR. Zhu has appeared at festivals including the BBC Proms, Salzburg Festival, Lucerne Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Rheingau Musik Festival, Mozartfest Würzburg, White Nights Festival and Flâneries Musicales de Reims.[19][20][7][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]

In 2019, at the age of twelve, she performed Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Mariinsky Orchestra at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg.[26][1]

In August 2021, Zhu performed Saint-Saëns's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso with the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle at BMW Classics in Trafalgar Square.[32][33] In December 2021, Zhu performed a violin solo of "You Raise Me Up" with the Irish band Westlife during a WeChat livestream reportedly viewed by 27 million people.[2][34]

She made her debut with the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich under Paavo Järvi, performing Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in an Orpheum Foundation concert at the Tonhalle Zürich in 2023.[21][35]

Zhu made her BBC Proms debut at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024, appearing in the CBeebies Proms.[27] Later in 2024, Zhu opened the Khachaturian International Festival, performing Khachaturian's Violin Concerto with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under Sergey Smbatyan. The concert was presented in partnership with UNICEF to mark World Children's Day and the 35th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.[36][37]

In 2025, she performed Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, presented by The Rest Is History podcast.[38]

Recordings

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Zhu has recorded Tigran Mansurian's Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra under Sergey Smbatyan in a project marking the composer's 85th birthday.[39]

In February 2025, she released Saint-Saëns: The Complete Concertos on Berlin Classics with the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra under Howard Griffiths.[40][34] The recording received a five-star review from BBC Music Magazine and was longlisted for the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (Bestenliste 2/2025).[3][41] For the recording, Zhu received the Opus Klassik Young Talent of the Year Award in 2025.[4]

Reception

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Reviewing Zhu's Saint-Saëns: The Complete Concertos in BBC Music Magazine, Christopher Dingle praised her "persistently dazzling fingerwork", "searching poetry" and musical understanding of the works, describing the recording as "quite a debut".[3]

Reviewing Bows, Strings and Dreams in The Strad, Lauren Wesley-Smith wrote that the book succeeds in "dispelling the mystique of life as an elite performer", and noted its combination of professional experiences and personal anecdotes.[10]

Awards and honours

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Media

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Zhu has appeared on ITV, Channel 4, ZDF and Bayerischer Rundfunk television programmes.[6][44][45][46][47][48] Her performances have been broadcast by BBC Radio 3, RTÉ lyric fm and Deutschlandradio.[19][49][50] She has appeared on BBC Radio 3's In Tune programme and has been featured by publications including BBC Music Magazine, The Strad, Classic FM, The Daily Telegraph, the Daily Express and the Chronicle.[51][52][9][53][16] Under the name "The Violin Girl", Zhu posts performance, practice and study videos online to a substantial following.[11][45]

Other activities

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Zhu has participated in charitable fundraising events. In 2022, she appeared in a fundraising concert for Maggie's broadcast nationally on Christmas Eve on Classic FM and presented by Fiona Bruce.[54] In 2023, she performed at the Grand Finale of the Lord Mayor's Appeal at Guildhall, London.[55]

In 2020, Zhu launched HarrisonParrott's collaboration with Google Arts & Culture through digital performances of Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst's Der Erlkönig and The Last Rose of Summer and an educational project exploring the composer's life and music.[56][57]

She is the author of Bows, Strings and Dreams, published in 2023.[10][58]

In 2020, Zhu and her brother Leo produced a short film that was shortlisted for the CineMagic Young Filmmaker Award.[5]

Public engagement

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Through her roles as Education Ambassador of the London Mozart Players and Patron of the HarrisonParrott Foundation, Zhu has contributed to music education and community outreach initiatives. She has spoken about the importance of broadening access to classical music and introducing younger audiences to the art form.[59][60][8]

In February 2024, she undertook a week-long residency at the Abu Dhabi Festival, mentoring 30 young musicians from across the United Arab Emirates and culminating in a recital with her students at The British School Al Khubairat.[61][62]

Zhu has also given masterclasses through the Music for the Future Foundation in Armenia.[63]

Alongside her performing career, Zhu has pursued formal qualifications in financial services. In 2024, at the age of seventeen, she completed the Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA) from the London Institute of Banking & Finance.[12][13] She holds associate membership of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), where she was appointed to the institute's Young Professionals Network Committee in 2026.[12][13]

In 2026, Zhu was admitted to the Freedom of the City of London through the Worshipful Company of International Bankers, the City of London livery company for the financial-services profession.[1] The same year, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.[12][13]

Zhu is the founder of Culture Meets Capital, a United Kingdom-based initiative exploring the relationship between culture, capital and civic life. She has said her interest in finance developed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when widespread concert cancellations exposed the financial precarity faced by professional musicians.[12][13]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 "Leia Zhu admitted to the Freedom of the City of London". The Strad. 21 April 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bond, Chris (30 January 2025). "Meet the teenage violinist who made her debut at four and has played with Westlife and London Symphony Orchestra". The Yorkshire Post. Archived from the original on 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Dingle, Christopher (2025). "Saint-Saëns: Violin Concertos Nos 1, 2 etc (Leia Zhu)". BBC Music Magazine / Classical-Music.com. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "String players triumph at 2025 Opus Klassik awards". The Strad. 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  5. 1 2 Davis, Barry (15 January 2023). "Young, talented and restless". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "Northumberland violin prodigy returns to play for home audience". ITV Tyne Tees. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  7. 1 2 "Spotlight on Leia Zhu". Philharmonia Orchestra. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  8. 1 2 Savant, Samir (October 2023). "Artist on Artist: Leia Zhu Talks to Samir Savant". St George's Bristol. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 Platt, Poppie (3 October 2021). "Why mind music is key to 14-year-old violin prodigy Leia". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  10. 1 2 3 Wesley-Smith, Lauren (17 April 2024). "Book review: Bows, Strings and Dreams". The Strad. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  11. 1 2 "Leia Zhu – The Violin Girl – exhilarates audiences at Teddies". St Edward's School, Oxford. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Leia Zhu elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts". The Strad. 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Violinist Leia Zhu elected as Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts". The Violin Channel. 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  14. ↑ Hewitt, Phil (28 January 2022). "15-year-old violin virtuoso heads for Hastings". Sussex Express. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Wilson, Tabitha (29 January 2025). "Teenage violin prodigy Leia Zhu to perform in Harrogate". Ilkley Gazette. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  16. 1 2 Marsh, Michael (30 March 2015). "Gateshead wonderkid Leia Zhu, eight, wins international contest with amazing violin performance". Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  17. ↑ "HarrisonParrott welcomes British violinist Leia Zhu to its roster" (Press release). HarrisonParrott. 25 September 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  18. 1 2 "14-year-old violinist Leia Zhu named Artist-in-Residence of London Mozart Players". The Violin Channel. 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 "London Mozart Players name violin prodigy Leia Zhu as artist in residence". The Strad. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  20. ↑ "Leia Zhu plays Prokofiev". London Philharmonic Orchestra. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  21. 1 2 "Interview mit der jungen Geigerin Leia Zhu". Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich (in German). 18 March 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  22. ↑ "OPUS KLASSIK 2025". Opus Klassik (in German). 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  23. ↑ "National Symphony Orchestra announces 2023–2024 season". National Concert Hall. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  24. ↑ "Exploring Russia No.1". Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra (in Chinese). 2026. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "International Holocaust Commemoration Day Ceremony" (PDF). European Parliament. 24 January 2018. p. 1. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  26. 1 2 "Junior Guildhall violinist Leia Zhu makes her debut with the Mariinsky". Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Prom 12: CBeebies Prom". BBC Proms. 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  28. ↑ "Leia Zhu". Gstaad Menuhin Festival. 23 July 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  29. ↑ "WeinLese – Rheingau Musik Festival 2019" (PDF). Rheingau Musik Festival (in German). 10 July 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  30. ↑ "Violinist Leia Zhu Joins HarrisonParrott Management Roster". The Violin Channel. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  31. ↑ "Flâneries Musicales de Reims – Leia Zhu". City of Reims (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  32. ↑ "Violin prodigy Leia Zhu to perform at free BMW Classics concert in Trafalgar Square". The Strad. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  33. ↑ Garrett, Jon (16 August 2021). "BMW Classics 2021". Thoroughly Good. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  34. 1 2 "Camille Saint-Saëns: Complete Concertos – New Talents Edition 1". Berlin Classics. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  35. ↑ "Concert archive". Orpheum Foundation. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "UNICEF joins Armenian State Symphony Orchestra to mark World Children's Day in Armenia". UNICEF. November 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  37. ↑ "Khachaturian International Festival opens in Yerevan". News.am. November 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  38. ↑ "The Rest Is History with Live Orchestra: Tchaikovsky and Wagner". Philharmonia Orchestra. 4 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  39. ↑ "Leia Zhu records Mansurian Violin Concerto". Panorama.am. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "Saint-Saëns: The Complete Concertos". Presto Music. February 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  41. ↑ "Bestenliste 2/2025". Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  42. ↑ "Shortlists for 2025 RPS Awards include top string players". The Strad. 30 January 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  43. ↑ "Classic FM's Rising Stars: 30 brilliant musicians we're celebrating in 2022". Classic FM. 18 July 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  44. ↑ "Gateshead's seven-year-old musical prodigy includes Newcastle in global tour". ITV Tyne Tees. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  45. 1 2 Newman, Cathy (15 February 2020). "Meet the 13-year-old violinist who's about to make her British concerto debut". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  46. ↑ "Live im ZDF: Désirée Nosbusch präsentiert den OPUS KLASSIK 2025". ZDF (in German). 12 October 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  47. ↑ "Leia Zhu mit "Caprice Nr. 24"". ZDF-Morgenmagazin (in German). 25 November 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  48. ↑ "Zu Gast im Studio: Leia Zhu". Bayerischer Rundfunk (in German). 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026 – via ARD Mediathek.
  49. ↑ "RTÉ lyric Live with Paul Herriott". RTÉ lyric fm. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  50. ↑ "Europäische Wochen Passau – Zurück zum Europäischen". Deutschlandfunk (in German). 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  51. ↑ "In Tune". BBC Radio 3. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  52. ↑ "In Tune". BBC Radio 3. 5 February 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  53. ↑ "Girl's royal invite hits a sweet note". Daily Express. 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  54. ↑ "Classic FM radio highlights 2022". Classic FM. 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  55. ↑ "Grand Finale 2023". The Lord Mayor's Appeal. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  56. ↑ "Leia Zhu introduces the composer Ernst". Google Arts & Culture. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  57. ↑ "Leia Zhu launches HP partnership with Google Arts & Culture" (Press release). HarrisonParrott. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  58. ↑ "Leia Zhu publishes her first book, 'Bows, Strings and Dreams'" (Press release). HarrisonParrott. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  59. ↑ "London Mozart Players announce Education Ambassadors Scheme to bring accessible music education to Croydon". Colin's Column. 24 November 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  60. ↑ "HarrisonParrott Foundation announces new Patron role and two new Trustees" (Press release). HarrisonParrott. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  61. ↑ "Abu Dhabi Festival residency with Leia Zhu". TradeArabia. February 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  62. ↑ "Abu Dhabi Festival 2024 programme". Time Out Abu Dhabi. 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
  63. ↑ "Masterclasses". Music for the Future Foundation. Retrieved 30 May 2026.
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