Applied Strings

Violin

Office: Mus 123

Phone: 323-343-4083

Noted as a violin virtuoso, teacher, and composer, Jay Zhong enjoys the reputation of an all-around musician. His musical mastery and versatility have placed him among some of the most intriguing musicians in his generation.

As a violinist, Mr. Zhong has made solo appearances on four continents of the globe and has earned critical accolades for his performances in some of the most coveted music venues in the world, including the Carnegie Hall main stage (later known as the Isaac Stern Auditorium) and the Metropolitan Museum of Arts in New York City. His combination of brilliant technique and noble musicality has captivated audiences and musicians around the world. The Washington Post described his performance as “nimble and unassuming…restrained but incisive, and without the bombast that some performers find so irresistible.” Brussels’ Le Soir hailed him as “chinois solar”, California’s Pacifica Tribune called his interpretation of Brahms “a golden exploration”, while his performance of works by Beethoven won such praise from El Colombiano of Medellin: “Jay Zhong, super-violinist, with interpretation worthy of an analogy…” Recently Mr. Zhong has recorded the complete Eugene Ysaye Sonatas for Violin Solo, Opus 27, release by Su Mi Records. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Zhong has been on roster of the International Chamber Players, Inc., Bogota International Music Festival Chamber Ensembles, and served as first violinist in Western Illinois University's faculty ensemble Julstrom String Quartet, as well as the director of Chamber Artist Series at California State University, Los Angeles. His recording of rarely heard chamber works by female composer Rebecca Clarke, performing with violist Kenneth Martinson and the Julstrom String Quartet was recently released by Centaur Records.

A prodigious teacher, Mr. Zhong is currently the Violin Professor and Director of String Program at the California State University, Los Angeles. Previously, he has held violin professorship at the Western Illinois University, Bogota International School of Music, and the Young Musicians at Purchase program of the State University of New York. He has taught master-classes at the University of Delaware, University of Kansas, the Bogota International Music Festival, Western Illinois University, California State University, Los Angeles, and has given a master-clinic on modern violin pedagogy to faculty members of China’s elite Beijing Central Music Conservatory. An active writer, Mr. Zhong’s recent essay “Chinese Concert Music, A Renaissance” was published by China Music Journal of Chinese Music Society of North America and distributed to 160 countries worldwide. He is also the author of a violin-training textbook, A Violinist’s Handbook, A Simpler Manual to Learn the Instrument, published by iUniverse Publications Inc., available worldwide by online booksellers.

Jay Zhong’s original creativity has driven him on a course of self-training in composition since his early teens. Today he has a library of original works that include solo instrumental, chamber music, and orchestral pieces. A number of his works have enjoyed encore performances: the robust metamorphosis “Sonata H. 143 for String Orchestra”, the bittersweet “Sonata for Violin and Violoncello Solo”, the technically challenging “Sonata for Solo Violin”, the somber “Elegy for Iris Chang”, and the dazzling “Cadenza for Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1”. Mr. Zhong has been a featured composer in the Walla Walla Symphony Whitman College Recital Series, New Music Festival of Western Illinois University, Montgomery Fellowship Concert Series in Alabama, University of Delaware Faculty Concerts, and the Ohio Opera Orchestra Concert Series. He is a consecutive winner of the ASCAPlus Award.

Born in Beijing, Jay Zhong began studying violin at age 4 with his parents, both professional violinists. He won a national audition at age 11 with the fiendish Paganini Violin Concerto No.1 and entered the violin studio of Ke Qiang Sui in the prestigious Beijing Central Conservatory of Music. At age 12, following his successful debut at Beijing Concert Hall, he was chosen by the Communist government to represent China in 1986's Beijing International Violin Competition. Instead, Jay Zhong fled the country to pursue studies in the United States. In New York City he was a pupil of the late Russian pedagogue, Raphael Bronstein, an Auer violin-school exponent. Following the death of Bronstein, Jay Zhong later completed his training with the celebrated violin master Elmar Oliveira. Mr. Zhong holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music and a Master of Fine Arts degree from State University of New York at Purchase. His extra-ordinary talent was recognized at age 14 by legendary violin master Nathan Milstein and subsequently promoted by Milstein's agent, concert impresario Harold Shaw.

By invitation, Mr. Zhong has performed on some of the most valuable violins in the world, including the 1717 Stradivarius from New York's Metropolitan Museum of Arts, a Pietro Guarneri and a Ruggieri loaned to him by collector Jacques Francis, the "ex-Oliveira" 1692 Stradivari, and a Gagliano loaned to him by luthier Dupin de Saint Cyr. Currently he is the proud owner of two violins made for him by Chinese luthier Qing Yang Liu, which he named “bella Lisa” (2006) and “the Bear” (2003) respectively. He is married to violinist Lisa Lhee.