Di Zhang

Di Zhang is an emerging and promising young yangqin virtuoso who is active in Toronto’s music scene. At a very young age, Di has displayed skill and talent in music beyond his years. At the age of seven, Di had already been accepted as a member of the Chinese Nationalities Orchestra Society in China. In 2002, Di enrolled in the primary music school of China’s Central University of Nationalities and began learning yangqin professionally from virtuoso Xue Shu. Di started her undergraduate studies in yangqin performance at the university in 2008 and received regular yangqin lessons from acclaimed professor Xili Gui. As a student, Di won numerous awards and scholarships, including the top award for dulcimer performance at the first ICAF national instrument contest (Singapore 2010) and the “Hua Yi Award” for best musical performance (Macao 2005). Di graduated as a top student from the university and successfully held a solo concert in Beijing in 2012.

In 2012 Di moved to Toronto, and since then she has joined the Toronto Chinese Orchestra (TCO) in every one of its annual concerts. She is a guest performer as well as a dulcimer instructor of Amigu di Macau, and performs regularly with the Toronto YueFang, Toronto Chinese Orchestra, and Melody of Bamboo Ensemble. In addition to yangqin performances, she has also performed Chinese drumming at The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts for Chinese New Year celebrations, and at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the Dragon Ball Charity Gala. In 2014, Di performed yangqin and Chinese drum at the Canadian Sinfonietta 2014-2015 Season’s Concert at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio. In 2015, she performed at Toronto Music Garden and the Maureen Forrester Recital Hall at Wilfrid Laurier University. 2016, she performed at the Walter Hall at University of Toronto.

Di is a dedicated and passionate artist in the promotion of yangqin music. She aims to pursue higher education in Canada, while continuing to perform, teach, and share Chinese music with others of diverse cultures.