Jialiang Zhu is a native of China and currently calls Toronto, Canada her home. Music to her is a lifestyle and a way of self-expression. During the global pandemic, music has become an even more essential channel for her to communicate with others, offering each other consolation and spreading hope. Inspired by the many virtual concerts around the globe, she joined forces with Emerging Young Artists (EYA), a non-for-profit arts organization in Toronto, to present a live-streamed piano recital right from Jialiang's home. 

 

Currently pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts (DMA) Degree in Collaborative Piano, Jialiang studies with Lydia Wong at the University of Toronto, where she has previously received Master’s Degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy and Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance with Honours with Marietta Orlov. Jialiang is a passionate performer and equally embraces solo, vocal, chamber music repertoire. She has been the winner of the University of Toronto DMA recital competition (2018), a finalist in the Vancouver International Piano Competition (2017), and the featured soloist in Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy with conductor Trevor Dearham and York Chamber Ensemble (2017). An active collaborative pianist, Jialiang participated in the recording of Chinese-Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho's latest album A Woman’s Voice for high voices and piano (2021-2022). She collaborated with soprano Xin Wang in recital at the Beijing Modern Music Festival (2019) and giving the Chinese premiere of Tanzer Lieder by Canadian composer Ana Sokolović. As the recipient of the Gwendolyn Williams Koldofsky Prize in Accompanying (2018), she performed in recital with mezzo-soprano Simona Genga, who won the Jim and Charlotte Norcop Prize in Song. Her research in Chinese art song has led to projects such as lecture recital at the University of Toronto with both native and non-native Chinese-speaking vocalists, presentations at multiple higher education institutions, and an article in the Art Song Canada Winter 2022 Issue.

 

Jialiang co-founded the Bedford Trio with violinist Alessia Disimino and cellist Andrew Ascenzo in 2016. They are the inaugural Irene R. Miller Piano Trio in Residency at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music (2018-2021), finalists at the Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music Competition in Germany (2018), and the ensemble for Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest (2018). The trio is a champion of contemporary music and a keen collaborator with fellow artists. Their 2021-2022 concert season included a recital that featured six brand new pieces by Canadian emerging young composers and combined the music with digital/visual art by local artists. The trio is committed to bringing live music performance to a diverse audience and have given outreach concerts as part of Concerts in Care and Xenia Concerts in health care facilities and community centres across Ontario.

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Jialiang is a devoted educator and has been a piano teacher and theory tutor since 2011. Her students range in age and abilities from elementary to undergraduate education. To find out more about her teaching, please check out HERE.

 

In her spare time, Jialiang loves visiting museums and galleries. During the pandemic, she and her partner enjoy long walks in the nature and watching animated films as well as documentaries. In addition, she newly started to explore gardening and propagating vegetables on their balcony.