Zhu Xiao-Mei (, born 1949) is a Chinese French classical pianist and teacher, now based in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, France.
Biography
Zhu Xiao-Mei was born in
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
in 1949. Her music studies started early, and she played on
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
radio and television by the age of 8. Two years later, she entered into the National School of Music for gifted children,
and also attended the
Central Conservatory of Music
The Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM; ) is the national music academy of China, located in Beijing. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education. The academy is part of Project 211 and the Double First-Class Construction.
Overview
Fo ...
.
[Bureauexport]
/ref> She currently teaches at Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris
A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...
, living by the Seine in Paris, France. She maintains a low-key lifestyle and is one of the most talented and respected Chinese pianists of the century.
1957–1975: Cultural Revolution Years
Coming from an artistic family, she stepped onto the stage of Radio channels in Beijing to play piano at the age of 8. She graduated with excellent academic achievement from the high school affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music in 1962. During the Cultural Revolution, Zhu was dispatched to Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province for 5 years. She returned to Beijing in 1975. When China resumed the College Entrance Exam policy, Zhu's age only allowed her to be enrolled in the class of advanced studies at the Central Conservatory of Music. She then started to teach piano lessons at Beijing Dancing Academy.
1979: Master's Degree in Piano Music: The New England Conservatory of Music
Her life-changing event was when the American violinist Isaac Stern
Isaac Stern (July 21, 1920 – September 22, 2001) was an American violinist.
Born in Ukraine, Stern moved to the United States when he was 14 months old. Stern performed both nationally and internationally, notably touring the Soviet Union a ...
visited China in 1979, which eventually contributed to Zhu's study in the United States. She began to study at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in 1980, from which she received her master's degree in Piano Music.
1985: Move to Paris
Just when she was losing hope in the States, Zhu got the chance to pursue her dream in Paris, France in 1985, just 2 days before her U.S. visa expired. At the beginning, she could barely make ends meet, but with the admiration and generous help of one professor in the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris, she was offered a teaching position in the school and a budget accommodation in which to live. She had 7 different places where she could practice piano for free. With the help of friends, her piano skills started to draw attention both from Europe and South America, leading to several music concerts and recitals in those areas.
1980s until today: Golden Years and recent activity
Without an agent's promotion, she managed to make her impact in the classical music circle, focusing her interest on a handful of composers of whom she was particularly fond. During these years playing piano in Paris, every single one of her recitals was sold out. Then she started to go on tours in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and even Australia.
Mirare
Mirare is a French classical music record label founded by René Martin and François-René Martin. The label was created for recordings of the La Folle Journée
La Folle Journée is a French annual classical music festival held in Nantes. It ...
had published many of her records. Her interests include the Goldberg Variations
The ''Goldberg Variations'' (), BWV 988, is a musical composition for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of thirty variations. First published in 1741, it is named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may ...
, Domenico Scarlatti
Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (26 October 1685 – 23 July 1757) was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque music, Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical peri ...
, Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...
, Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
, Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
, Schubert
Franz Peter Schubert (; ; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
and Schumann
Robert Schumann (; ; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and music critic of the early Romantic music, Romantic era. He composed in all the main musical genres of the time, writing for solo piano, voice and piano, chamber ...
, but it is Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (German: �joːhan zeˈbasti̯an baχ ( – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his prolific output across a variety of instruments and forms, including the or ...
who remains at the heart of her music universe. And she is now widely recognized as one of his leading exponent
Of Bach's keyboard works, she has already recorded The Well-Tempered Clavier
''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', BWV 846–893, consists of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the composer's time ''clavier'' referred to a variety of keyboard instruments, ...
, the Partitas
Partita (also ''partie'', ''partia'', ''parthia'', or ''parthie'') closely resemble the dance suites of the Baroque Period (and are often used synonymously with suites) with the addition of a prelude movement at the beginning of each partita. I ...
, The Art of the Fugue, the Inventions and Sinfonias
The Inventions and Sinfonias, Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, BWV 772–801, also known as the Two- and Three-Part Inventions, are a collection of thirty short Keyboard instrument, keyboard compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750): 15 Invention ...
and the Goldberg Variations
The ''Goldberg Variations'' (), BWV 988, is a musical composition for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of thirty variations. First published in 1741, it is named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may ...
. Her first album was completed at the age of 50.
In 1994, Zhu was invited to perform a piano recital in Théatre de la Ville, which was also her first public performance as a pianist in Paris.
Her autobiography, The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps to Bach's Goldberg Variations was published by Robert Laffont
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, praise, reno ...
in 2007 and won the 2008 Grand Prix des Muses. It has been translated into many other languages.
In 2014, Zhu was invited to perform in the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, where Bach had worked for 23 years. Zhu was the first pianist to perform in this church. The DVD and CD of this recital have received a Special Achievement Award at the International Classical Music Awards
The International Classical Music Awards (ICMA) are music awards first awarded 6 April 2011. ICMA replace the Cannes Classical Awards (later called MIDEM Classical Awards) formerly awarded at MIDEM. The jury consists of music critics of magazines ...
.
She performed in China for the first time in 2014, after an absence of 35 years. While she received the title of professor emeritus at the Beijing Conservatory, the same year she was honored with the title of "Chevalier of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres" by The Ministry of Culture, France.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zhu, Xiao-Mei
1949 births
Living people
Chinese classical pianists
Chinese women pianists
Piano educators
Central Conservatory of Music alumni
New England Conservatory alumni
Academic staff of the Conservatoire de Paris
Chinese emigrants to the United States
Chinese emigrants to France
Sent-down youths
Musicians from Shanghai
Musicians from Paris