Chinese pianist Jialiang Zhu passionately embraces both collaborative and solo performance. She is a featured pianist on Chinese-Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho’s latest album A Woman’s Voice – Songs and Duets for Voice and Piano. A specialist in Chinese art song, she has performed this repertoire with vocalists from diverse cultural background at organizations such as Canadian Opera Company, University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, University of Manitoba, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and Beijing Central Conservatory of Music. In the 2024 “Dream Big” collaborative piano conference, Jialiang and American soprano Juliet Petrus co-moderated a panel discussion “Singing in Mandarin: Building Community through the Chinese Art Song Movement,” along with four international performers/educators/specialists of Chinese art song. Her article “Singing Classical Chinese Poetry” was published in Art Song Canada Winter 2022 Issue. Currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts (DMA) Degree, she studies with Lydia Wong at U of T, where she has previously received Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy and Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance with Honours with the late Marietta Orlov. Her doctoral thesis is a performance guide for non-Mandarin speakers on how to tackle Chinese art song and poetry.

Jialiang is a co-founder of classical ensemble Bedford Trio. Since 2016, they have performed in Canada, USA, Germany, and appeared in virtual concerts in Italy and China. They are currently Artists in Residency at the U of T’s Faculty of Music. Previously, they were the inaugural ensemble for the Irene R. Miller Piano Trio Residency at U of T and participated in Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest. As adjudicators for the U of T Piano Trio Composition Competition since 2021, they have hosted workshops with both undergraduate and graduate composition majors and have given the world premiere of pieces by these emerging composers. The Trio also works closely with student composers from the local Earl Haig Secondary School in workshops to help them develop piano trio works. In March 2022, they launched the multidisciplinary IMMERSED concert, in which they gave the world premiere of works by six student composer in collaboration with visual arts and lighting by local artists. Following this hugely successful event, the Trio continued to present IMMERSED 2.0 as part of their 2022/23 concert series in Toronto and is preparing for the 3.0 edition in June 2024. The Trio is grateful for the generous support from the Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council.

Most recently, Jialiang has taken on the role of concert producer, actively connecting and presenting artists from diverse backgrounds and practices. In 2023-2024, she curates and performs in concert series “The Power of Words” and “Empowered by Friendship,” in which she explores her friendship and connections with fellow Canadian and international artists and showcases their works of solo piano, chamber music, vocal music, and poetry. Jialiang thanks the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts for their generous support.
As a soloist, Jialiang continues to broaden her repertoire by working with living composers. Her upcoming “Piano Dialogue” recital features works by five Canadian and international composers and shares unique dialogues on topics such as mental health, self-perception, and cultural exchange. In the beginning of the global pandemic, she co-presented a virtual solo recital with the Emerging Young Artists organization to help others combat loneliness and break boundaries. She was a winner of the University of Toronto DMA recital competition. She performed as the featured soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with York Chamber Ensemble as well as the U of T Symphony Orchestra and Choirs. 

Jialiang cherishes the opportunities to share her knowledge and passion with her students. She is a member of the Chamber Music Faculty at the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy of the Royal Conservatory of Music, where she also accompanies young instrumentalists and vocalists in their recitals and competitions. Previously, she taught at U of T’s Piano Pedagogy Program, where she worked with students from elementary to undergraduate levels. She taught the Keyboard Skills Class to undergraduate non-keyboard majors at U of T’s Faculty of Music, where she helped her students develop new skillsets while exposing them to a variety of repertoire from diverse cultures. She always strives to help students establish a solid technical foundation and deepen their connection with music. Meanwhile, she guides students in areas including music theory, sight-reading, improvisation, and composition to help them build holistic musicianship.
To find out more about her teaching, please check out HERE.

 

Jialiang enjoys her time with her family and exploring the world anew with her toddler. She volunteers to lead a weekly music and story class for local families with young children. In her spare time, she and her husband love spending time in the theatre and discovering new brunch restaurants.