Su Zhen

Violist and educator for nearly 20 years, Su Zhen is a viola professor and doctoral tutor at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, visiting professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Distinguished Expert at the China Conservatory of Music and Vice President of the String Society of the Chinese Musicians Association. Her students have served as principals in professional orchestras at home and abroad and teach in internationally renowned music academies.

In 1996, at the age of 23, she became the deputy principal viola of the China Symphony Orchestra. Afterwards, awarded a full scholarship to continue her postgraduate studies at RAM (Royal Academy of Music, London), under the tutelage of John White, a world-renowned viola educator and chairman of the European Viola Association. During her studies, she won numerous viola awards in the academy. She is now an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Academy of Music.

From 2000 to 2004, she was the deputy principal viola of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra (tenure seat). As a soloist and chamber musician, she has been invited to give solo and ensemble concerts around the world, including the Edinburgh International Music Festival, the Geneva International Music Festival, the Tokyo International Art Festival and the International Viola Art Festival.

Her album “British Rhapsody” caused a sensation as soon as it was released in London, and was hailed as “one of the best viola players in the world” by the international first-class “gramophone” magazine and Strad as being “wonderful”. In March 2022, Su Zhen released a new album “The Dialogue between Viola and the World” at the National Centre for the Performing Arts of China. This album features ten classic Chinese works specially created for the viola. The work topped Sony’s Best Hi-Res list as soon as it hit the market.