Known for her deep musical voice and breathtaking virtuosity, Nancy Zhou seeks to revitalize appreciation for the art and science of the violin. Her thoughtful musicality and strong social media presence resonate with a global audience, allowing her to perform on the stages of the world’s leading orchestras.
More than 20 years after her orchestral debut, Nancy has collaborated with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, among others. Passionate about solo performances, she also values chamber music collaborations and dedicates herself wholeheartedly to her teaching responsibilities. Nancy has performed at festivals such as the Verbier Festival, Tongyeong Music Festival and Marvão Festival. In addition, she is a regular guest pedagogue at several international summer festivals, where she teaches not only masterclasses but also workshops on fundamental technical training and well-being for musicians.
Over the years, the violinist’s interest in cultural heritage and the humanities has resulted in notable collaborations. In partnership with the New Jersey Symphony and Xian Zhang, she has performed Zhao Jiping’s First Violin Concerto at Alice Tully Hall; given the U.S. premiere of Unsuk Chin’s Gran Cadenza for Two Solo Violins with Anne-Sophie Mutter; performed Chen Qigang’s La joie de la souffrance with the Rogue Valley Symphony; and, in collaboration with the La Jolla Symphony, presented the West Coast premiere of Vivian Fung’s Violin Concerto No. 1. In July 2025, Nancy will embark on a research trip with Vivian to Zhexiang, China, the home village of the violinist’s mother, a former professional folk dancer. The project will result in a work for violin and electronics that will explore the intersection of music as a cultural force and the culture of folklore minorities. The violinist’s debut album, Stories (re)Traced, is a response to these questions, featuring four fundamental and intricately linked works for solo violin, including Béla Bartók’s Sonata. The album will be released this season by Orchid Classics.
A native of Texas and the daughter of Chinese immigrant parents, Nancy began playing the violin under the guidance of her father. She later studied with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory while pursuing her interest in literature at Harvard University. She is currently an Associate Artist at Queen Elizabeth Chapel and Professor of Violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
