Zhanbo Zheng, viola

Violist Zhanbo Zheng started his musical education when he took his first violin lesson at the age of five. At 11, attracted by the warm and beautiful sound of the viola, he decided to become a violist. In 2014, Mr. Zheng became the first Chinese violist to win the Primrose International Viola Competition. He won the second prize and the Pablo Casals Prize for Best Performance of Solo Bach in the 2017 Irving M. Klein International String Competition. He was also awarded the second prize in the Washington International Competition for Strings in 2018. As a soloist, Mr. Zheng has performed with many orchestras, including the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, and China Broadcasting Performing Arts Orchestra. In 2014, he was selected for an exchange activity between China and Germany, hosted by China Education Association for International Exchange. In addition to Marlboro, Mr. Zheng has been invited to festivals including the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Verbier Festival Academy, Caramoor Evnin Rising Stars, Cleveland ChamberFest, and Morningside Music Bridge. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the New England Conservatory, where he is now pursuing his Master of Music degree under the mentorship of Kim Kashkashian and Miriam Fried.