{"id":42212,"date":"2026-02-03T08:00:43","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T13:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/concoursmontreal.ca\/?post_type=cmim-competitors&p=42212"},"modified":"2026-03-16T12:20:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T16:20:25","slug":"aozhe-zhang","status":"publish","type":"cmim-competitors","link":"https:\/\/concoursmontreal.ca\/en\/competitors\/aozhe-zhang\/","title":{"rendered":"Aozhe Zhang"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI love the feeling of performing on stage and receiving a warm reaction from the audience.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

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HOME - CONCOURS 2026<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Aozhe\u00a0Zhang\u00a0is a\u00a0student\u00a0at\u00a0the Music Middle School\u00a0affiliated\u00a0with\u00a0the\u00a0Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He\u00a0began\u00a0playing\u00a0the violin at the age of three.\u00a0<\/span>\u201cI started learning the violin with my great-uncle. My family discovered that I had perfect pitch and thought that I should pursue music.\u201d At age four, he began violin studies<\/span>\u00a0under\u00a0the guidance of Liu Xinhua\u00a0and has been studying with\u00a0He Xian since the age of\u00a0nine.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At only 14 years old, Aozhe performed all 24 caprices by Paganini in concert and released an album. He has performed concerts in many Chinese cities, receiving widespread critical acclaim. He is excited to perform a work by a Chinese composer in his competition program: <\/span>Sunshine Over\u00a0Tashkurgan<\/span><\/i>\u00a0by Gang Chen.\u00a0<\/span>The Concours 2026 will be Aozhe\u2019s first appearance in North America since performing in the United States with his elementary school orchestra as a child.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aozhe is a laureate of multiple international violin competitions and has enjoyed several recent successes. In October 2025, he won First Prize at the 58<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup> International Violin Competition Premio Paganini, as well as the award for the best performance of a violin concerto by Paganini. \u201cTo perform in the final stage of this competition was a dream I’d had since childhood, and I consider this my most exciting performance to this date.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0In August 2025, he won\u00a0First Prize\u00a0and the Youth Jury Prize at the Tibor Varga International Violin\u00a0Competition,\u00a0and\u00a0won\u00a0Third Prize in the\u00a0violin\u00a0category\u00a0at\u00a0the 9<\/span>th<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0edition of the\u00a0Sendai International Music Competition. In September 2024, he\u00a0also\u00a0won\u00a0First Prize\u00a0at\u00a0the 43<\/span>rd<\/span><\/sup>\u00a0International Violin Competition \u201cRodolfo\u00a0Lipizer\u00a0Prize\u201d,\u00a0as well as two special prizes for Best\u00a0Lipizer\u00a0Etude and\u00a0Best New Interpretation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Aozhe\u00a0plays a\u00a02019\u00a0violin by\u00a0Piero Virdis.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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PROGRAMME<\/h2>\n

FIRST ROUND<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
<\/strong>Sonata for Solo Violin No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001<\/p>\n