Overview
Biography
Since his gold medal win at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009, 24-year-old Chinese pianist Zhang Haochen has captivated audiences in the United States, Europe, and Asia with a unique combination of deep musical sensitivity, fearless imagination, and spectacular virtuosity. His return to Fort Worth as part of the 2010–2011 Cliburn Concerts series was lauded by the Dallas Morning News as 'the kind of program you'd expect from a seasoned master, served up with dazzling virtuosity where wanted and astonishing sophistication elsewhere' and hailed among the top 10 performances of 2010 by both the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram. His Boston debut under the auspices of the Celebrity Series met with high praise by audiences and critics, making the year-end lists as part of the Boston Phoenix's top 10 classical music stories of the year. Boston Globe critic Matthew Guerrieri remarked that Mr. Zhang displayed 'poetic temperament as much as technical power... [he is] a pianist with ample reserves of power whose imagination seems nonetheless most kindled by subtle delicacy.' In summer 2012 Mr. Zhang made his debut at the Piano Festival La Roqued'Antheron for which he received a rave review from Diapason. In April 2013, Haochen made his Munich Philharmonic debut under the baton of Maestro Maazel followed by a sold out four-city tour in China.
A passionate and insightful programmer, Mr. Zhang continues to cultivate his reputation through major performances and debuts every year. Highlights of the 13-14 season include an artist residency at the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra with whom he will play four different concerti along with two chamber concerts; debut with Kyushu Symphony in Japan, Seattle Symphony as well as Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire; return performances with Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and a number of recitals and chamber concerts throughout North America and Japan. In June 2014 Haochen will tour China as soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by David Robertson.
Mr. Zhang is also an avid chamber music player, collaborating with such colleagues as the Shanghai String Quartet. In past seasons, he has performed with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Macau Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic. A prolific recitalist, in the U.S. Mr. Zhang has performed at Spivey Hall, La Jolla Music Society, Celebrity Series of Boston, CU Artist Series, Cliburn Concerts, Krannert Center, Wolf Trap Discovery Series, Lied Center of Kansas and UVM Lane Series, among others. International tours have taken him to cities including Beijing, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Berlin, Munich, Dresden, Rome, Tivoli, Bogota and Belgrade.
Mr. Zhang's Cliburn Competition performances were released to critical acclaim by Harmonia Mundi in 2009. He is also featured in Peter Rosen's award-winning documentary chronicling the 2009 Cliburn Competition, A Surprise in Texas.
Mr. Zhang is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where he studied under Gary Graffman. He was previously trained at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the Shenzhen Arts School, where he was admitted in 2001 at the age of 11 to study with Professor Dan Zhaoyi.
'Such a combination of enchanting, sensitive lyricism and hypnotizing forcefulness is a phenomenon encountered very rarely.'
