Zhong Zhiyue

China

Guqin Examiner

Zhong Zhiyue is an Associate Professor at the Department of Traditional Music at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he also serves as a mentor to students in Masters’ programmes. He was a recipient of the Young Art Creation Talent Project’s funding under National Arts Foundation. He has been recognized as a ‘Young Oriental Scholar’ by Shanghai's higher education institutions and was a committee member of the 13th Shanghai Youth Federation. Zhong is also an instructor at institutions such as Thailand’s Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University and Singapore’s Raffles Music College.

Currently, Zhong holds various significant positions including Executive Director of the Guqin Association in China, Director of the Singapore Chinese Music Federation, President of the Singapore Guqin Society, member of the China Museum Association, Executive Director of the Shanghai Musicians' Association’s Folk Music Committee, Vice President of the Sheng Art Research Society, and Deputy Director of the Shanghai Xuhui Guqin Culture and Art Research Society. He is also an Executive Director of the International Guqin Society.

Zhong studied Sheng performance under Professor Xu Chaoming at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and undertook minor studies in Guqin performance under Professor Dai Xiaolian. Additionally, he studied composition with composers Huang Lei, Xu Jianqiang, and Law Wai Lun. In 2006, Zhong graduated with excellent results a year ahead of schedule and was recommended for admission to graduate school without an entrance exam, becoming the first master’s student in Sheng at Shanghai Conservatory of Music and the only double-honors recipient in the history of the Traditional Music Department. His thesis advisor was Professor Chen Yingshi.

Zhong has performed and lectured at numerous universities across more than ten countries and regions in Europe and Asia. He has held numerous solo concerts in Singapore and various locations in China, published numerous recordings and several collections of Sheng and Guqin music scores, and has published multiple papers in core journals. His musical compositions have also been included and published by several publishers.

Awards received by Zhong include, Second place (Silver Award) in the 2009 CCTV National Ethnic Instrumental Music Competition Sheng category for young and middle-aged participants, First place in the Shanghai Conservatory of Music’s inaugural ‘Xiangyin Cup’ Ethnic Instrumental Chamber Music Composition Competition in 2007, and Honors in various competitions including the China Music Golden Bell Awards, National Guqin Competition and Qintai-Dunhuang Cup.