(Photographer: Kassandra Wilkey)
Welcome To Virtuoso Strings with Matthew Zhang
📍 Original video was livestreamed at St. Paul’s Church, Orillia
🎻 Violinist: Matthew Zhang (Age 12)
🎹 Piano Accompanist: Dan McCoy
At a very young age, Matthew has shown passion and interest in music. He began his studies on the violin at the age of seven. He studied a variety of music styles, including the Suzuki method and the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM) levels. At the age of twelve, he completed the RCM Level 9 Exam, becoming a member of the Huronia Symphony Orchestra (HSO).
Currently, Matthew is working on his RCM Level 10 towards later pursuing his Associate of the Royal Conservatory (ARCT) Violin Performance Diploma. He is enrolled in the Bravura House Music Academy, where he studies with David McFadden. For the past two years, Matthew has been recognized with many awards and certificates, such as scholarships at the Barrie Rose Bowl Competition, the Ontario Music Festival Association (OMFA) Provincial Finals, Federation of the Canadian Music Festivals (FCMF), Barrie Kiwanis Music Festival, and the South Simcoe Music Association.
Inspired by classical music at a young age, Matthew enjoyed exploring the works and compositions of Bach, Dvořák, Beethoven, and Vivaldi. He especially liked playing Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in G minor (Summer) from the Vivaldi Four Seasons. Matthew enjoys the experience of every performance and competition, bringing dedication, focus, and determination into every music note. He believes that hard work and perseverance are the key to success and it will continue to guide him throughout his musical journey.
