“I’m struck by the extraordinary level of comfort and ease that his total mastery of his program communicates. …he manages to imbue every single work with tremendous personality, power, and nuance.” -Classical Guitar Magazine
The highlight of TY Zhang’s international career was the Grand Prize of the 2017 Guitar Foundation of American International Concert Artist Competition (GFA-ICAC), known as the most prestigious guitar contest in the world. TY become the first Chinese to be honored with this prize. His win was followed by a tour with over 50 concerts in the U.S., including his Carnegie Hall debut. In 2018, TY released his solo album with Naxos company as the Laureate Series · Guitar Recital.
In addition to his GFA win, TY has received First Prizes awards around the world’s top competitions in Europe, Asia, and the U.S., including the Alexander Frauchi International Competition of Russia, the Changsha International Guitar Competition of China, Paracho International Guitar Competition of Mexico, the Schadt String Competition in the US, Austria’s Forum Gitarre Wien International Youth Competition, as well as the GFA Youth International Competition.
As a performing artist, TY has given concert tours and masterclasses throughout the world, including Sydney, Australia; Belgrade, Serbia; Vienna, Austria; St. Petersburg, Moscow, Obninsk, Bryansk, Nizhniy-Novgorod, and Kaluga of Russia; Tokyo, Nagoya, and Kyoto of Japan; Beijing, Tianjin, HongKong, Macao, Changsha, Xiamen, Hangzhou, Kunming and Chongqing of China; Zacatecas, Paracho of Mexico; and over 50 cities of the United States. He was featured on multiple international radios and Television shows, including Russia’s NIKA-TV and GUBERNIYA-TV and New York’s WQXR’s Greene Space & New York Guitar Festival’s Tribute to Julian Bream performance series.
TY serves as the Teaching Assistant of the Multi-Grammy winning guitarist Ms. Sharon Isbin at the Aspen Music Festival, as well as the Doctor of Musical Arts Teaching Assistant of Grammy winning guitarist Mr. William Kanengiser at the University of Southern California. He has been invited to give masterclasses and lessons in major Conservatoires and Universities around the globe. TY has been an educator since his time at The Juilliard School as a member of the McCabe teaching fellowship, where he introduced the classical guitar to young audiences. He has produced masterclass videos on major guitar platforms such as the Tonebase Guitar, GFA-TV, and Guitar Era China. TY Zhang is currently appointed the US International Director of the China Guitar Teacher Association (CGTA).
He showed great talent since a young age. TY was called the “Little John Williams” at the age of eight by the two influential German guitar masters—The Amadeus Duo, at a masterclass in Beijing. Born in Hebei, a place south of Beijing in China, TY was introduced to a variety of things under the influence of his father, including swim, Chinese Kongfu, Erhu, violin, keyboard, and the classical guitar at the age of five and he liked to play the guitar the most. When he turned seven, TY was introduced to Professor Chen Zhi, whom he studied with at the Music School attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. It was a masterclass that bridged him with Professor Sharon Isbin, with whom he studied with during his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at The Juilliard School in New York. TY is currently finishing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree as a DMA Teaching Assistant under Professor William Kanengiser at the University of Southern California.
TY enjoys photography, videography, road cycling, surfing, and traveling.
Website: www.tengyuezhang.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ty.guitar/?hl=en
Spotify: shorturl.at/fhvQT