Since moving to Toronto in 2007, Chinese pianist Jialiang Zhu has become a dynamic force in Canada’s music scene – as a performer, concert producer, educator, and researcher. She is the pianist and co-founder of the Bedford Trio, a Toronto-based ensemble dedicated to championing both classical and contemporary chamber music. The Trio has performed across Canada, the U.S., and Germany, and is known for its innovative, cross-disciplinary approach to performance. As Artists-in-Residence at the University of Toronto's Composition Department, the Bedford Trio collaborates with emerging composers, visual artists, and dancers. Their flagship project, IMMERSED, is an annual multidisciplinary production featuring new piano trio works alongside digital art and choreography by Canadian and international young artists.

​

Beyond the Trio, Jialiang is a passionate concert producer and curator, with support from the Canada Council for the Arts and Ontario Arts Council. She produces and performs in concert series that showcase music and poetry by Canadian and international artists. Her programming reflects a commitment to contemporary repertoire, inclusive storytelling, and meaningful cross-cultural collaboration.

​

As a vocal coach, Jialiang specializes in Chinese art song, working with singers of varied backgrounds and presenting this repertoire at institutions such as the Canadian Opera Company, University of Toronto, University of Ottawa, University of Manitoba, Canadian Museum for Human Rights, and Beijing Central Conservatory of Music. Her doctoral research focused on Chinese art songs based on ancient poetry and resulted in a diction manual and interpretive guide to support non-Mandarin-speaking singers in authentically performing this repertoire. Her article “Singing Classical Chinese Poetry” was published in Art Song Canada Winter 2022 Issue.

​

Alongside her performance and research work, Jialiang is a dedicated and versatile educator. She serves as the Chamber Music Faculty at the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy, the Piano Faculty at the Oscar Peterson School of Music, and works as a collaborative pianist and coach at The Glenn Gould School. In 2025–2026, she joins the University of Toronto Faculty of Music as a Sessional Lecturer for the Accompanying Class. Jialiang is committed to fostering a lifelong connection to music in her students, emphasizing strong technique, expressive musicianship, and a deep appreciation for music across cultures. She also has extensive classroom experience, including teaching the undergraduate Keyboard Skills Class at U of T, leading young students group classes in the U of T Piano Pedagogy Program at U of T and the Wizz Kidz Yamaha Music School, as well as giving Keyboard Improvisation Workshops at the Yamaha Junior Original Concert summer camp.

​

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Collaborative Piano, a Master’s in Piano Performance and Pedagogy, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance (Honours), all from the University of Toronto. She is forever grateful to her mentors for their generous and tireless guidance and support: Lydia Wong, the late Marietta Orlov, Jeff Packman, Steven Philcox, Midori Koga, Mia Bach, and members of the Gryphon Trio – Annalee Patipatanakoon, Roman Borys, and Jamie Parker.

 

Jialiang loves spending time with her family and appreciates the opportunity to explore the world anew with her toddler. In 2023-2024, she volunteered to lead a weekly music and story class in Mandarin for local families with babies and toddlers, and since then she has continued to bring live music and storytelling to her toddler’s school on a regular basis. She and her husband enjoy watching plays and discovering brunch restaurants across Toronto.