Sophia (Shuhui) Zhou

New-York-based pianist Shuhui (Sophia) Zhou has been performing as a soloist and chamber musician internationally in Albany Symphony Concert Series, Mannes Sound Festival, Beethoven Institute in New York, Barcelona Piano Academy Concert Series, Clasclas Young Artist Festivals in Spain, Shanghai Concert Hall Series, Ferrara International Piano Festival Concert Series, Siletz Bay Music Festival in Oregon, Piano Texas Festival, Holland Music Sessions, to name a few. As the winner of the V BPA International Piano Award of Barcelona, Ms. Zhou was engaged for solo recitals tours across Spain. Her concert appearances include Carnegie Weil Concert Hall, the National Sawdust, Steinway and Son hall in New York City, Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C., the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, National Library of Catalonia, Juventudes Musicales in Sevilla, Shanghai Concert Hall, etc. Her recital partners include members of New York Philharmonic, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera House, HK Philharmonic Orchestra and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, as well as faculty members of Curtis Institute of Music and Manhattan School of Music.Ms. Zhou is one of the most dynamic and versatile young musicians of her generation. As the soloist of Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, she recorded and premiered music by renowned composers such as Andrew Norman (Pulitzer- Prize and Grammy-Award nominee) , Benjamin Broening (recipient of Guggenheim Award) and Thomas Ades (renowned British Composer) . In 2019, she performed the American premier of the song cycle “Dark Days” by German Composer Alexander Goehr in the National Sawdust Hall, the esteemed performing venue for new music in New York City.Ms. Zhou is a highly sought-after vocal pianist as well as coach, working with Brooklyn Art Song Society, Mannes Opera, Bare Opera, Classical lyrical Arts in Italy, and various voice studios. She was invited to work as a pianist and piano instructor in Bard Conservatory College of Music, directed by Academy Award winning composer Tan,Dun. She is currently working with Five Time Grammy-award winning opera singer Dawn Upshaw, Stephanie Blythe, former Boston Symphony Orchestra Residential Pianists Kayo Iwama and Frank Corliss in the Graduate Vocal Arts Program, as well as serving as secondary piano faculty for the college department. Ms. Zhou is also well-versed with historical music style: harpsichord and chamber organ continuo playing. She was invited to be the keyboard fellow for Bach Institute in Emmanuel Music, Boston- a highly selective scholarly and performance program.Born and raised in Shanghai, Ms. Zhou was offered a full scholarship by Oberlin College ,majoring in piano performance and German literature. She was the first student from mainland China to be admitted into the Oberlin’s highly competitive double-degree program. She continued her piano studies with Jan Jiracek von Arnim in University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna as well as musicology with Dr. Morten Solvic, renowned Mahler Scholar and Chair of the Mahler Society in Vienna. She has obtained a Master of Music degree from Mannes College of Music in New York City, studying with esteemed American pianist Dr, Thomas Sauer. She has worked with renowned artists and pedagogue including legendary American pianists Richard Goode, Peter Serkin, Barry Douglas, Leslie Howard, Ruth Slenczynska, Jacque Rouvier, Karl-Heinz Kaemmerling, Bernd Goetzke (Hannover Hochschuler fuer Musik), Hortense Cartier-Bresson (CNSM in Paris), Albert Attenelle (Liceu Conservatory in Barcelona) and Christopher Elton (Royal Academy of Music in London).Ms. Zhou’s upcoming engagement includes projects with the Metamorphosis Chamber Orchestra in New York City and a new recording project featuring works of female composers. In addition to working as a pianist and piano instructor in Bard, Ms. Zhou has been invited to teach in the esteemed Hoff-Barthelson School of Music in Scarsdale, NY and Wilton Music Studios in Wilton, CT. In Spring 2020, Sophia has been appointed to be the artistic consultant as well as concert curator of Stissing Arts Center, Pine Plains, NY. She will be curating the inaugural season of the new cultural landmark of upstate New York. She was also contracted by the Fudan University Publishing House in Shanghai to translate German composer Brahms biography written by Jan Swafford from English to Chinese, to be published in 2026.