Yi Zhou

At age 19, Yi was admitted by Wuhan Conservatory of Music with the highest score among all candidates. She became the youngest graduate student in this conservatory, majoring violin performance. Yi played the assistant principal violin in the Oriental Symphonic Orchestra. She played tens of concerts in many cities across the country, with a list of world-class musicians. Among them are violinists Wei Xue, Siqing Lv and pianist Xiangdong Kong that are well-known for Chinese audience. Yi also played the first violin in the graduate string quartet of Wuhan Conservatory of Music. In 2005, the quartet won the 2nd place in the chamber music competition of the conservatory. Yi's research focused on the area of violin education under the coach of professor Yin Liang, one of the most famous violin educators in China. Yi assisted Prof Liang in authoring and editing several books in his popular violin textbook series, and they co-authored three papers in violin pedagogy. At the same time, Yi also studied violin performance. In 2006, Yi held her graduate recital in Wuhan Conservatory of Music including both violin and viola repertoire, graduated as a straight-A student and got her master degree in violin performance. 

 

After graduation in 2006, Yi got her first job in the faculty of the College of Art & Music in Nanchang University. She taught performing class to students in both violin and viola major, and also taught the public class of sight-singing and ear-training. Yi co-founded both the Youth Chamber Orchestra and the string quartet in the university. Playing as the principal violist, Yi traveled together with the orchestra to France in 2008 and held concert in Paris and Poitiers. She played for Mr. Raffarin (the former Prime Minister of France) and the counselor of culture and education, and was commended as "the impressive violist".

 

Yi came to the US in 2008. She then became a graduate student in the University of Washington, majoring viola performance. She studies viola with the violist and professor Melia Watras. Yi played the principal violist in UW symphony. In February 2011, a concert performing Shostakovich's No. 11 Symphony got highly commended by Bernard Jacobson, the famous critic in America. He especially pointed out the viola section, led by Yi, for the "In Memoriam" adagio movement, as "covered itself with glory". In March 2011, Yi held her recital in the Brechemin Auditorium, played repertories by Bach and Walton. In April 2011, Yi was chosen to play for Yizhak Schotten, who is a renowned violist and educator, also the professor of University of Michigan. Prof Schotten commended Yi's performance of Bach as "full of music".

 

Yi and her family are now living in Sammamish, Washington. She owns studio and teaches violin and viola students. Meanwhile, she plays in several orchestra and chamber groups. Her students play in Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra, and have won many domestic and international competitions. Yi's teaching focuses on developing students music personality. She helps students to learn how to share and express their love through playing music.