Zhang Xinru

Winner of the 2nd International Percussion Competition for Young Soloists held in Greece, Zhang Xinru is one of China’s rising percussion stars. She has been awarded numerous prizes at home and abroad, including the Gold Prize at the International Chinese Percussion Arts Festival and top prizes in the National Youth Percussion Competition, International Chinese Marimba Competition and National Drumming Competition.

With her unique perspective and interpretation of percussion music, Zhang successfully marries the traditional and contemporary methods in her playing. From 2011 onwards, she has collaborated with world renowned composer/conductor Tan Dun on numerous occasions, including as percussion soloist in his Organic Music Trilogy of Earth Concerto, Paper Concerto, and Water Concerto which she has toured to the Netherlands, Italy and Canada. Most recently, she was featured as percussion principal in Tan Dun’s Martial Arts Trilogy which has not only toured throughout China, but also to Slovenia. In 2012,Zhang was featured as a percussion principal for the 23rd edition of Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. Zhang also frequently tours with the Shanghai Percussion Ensemble in China and abroad, and has received critical acclaim in Europe on her performance of Wen Deqing’s percussion concerto Martial Arts.

Zhang started learning piano at the age of four. Starting at the age of 10, she was under the tutelage of well-known Professor Yang Ruwen in percussion. In 2003, she was admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music (High School), where she studied under Gao Hua. In 2013, Zhang furthered her studies as a post graduate student at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, focusing on mallet instruments.