Ryan Zhu
Canada | Age 15

Preliminary Round Recital – Friday, May 31, 2019 – 2:30 p.m.
Caruth Auditorium, SMU

Program:
BACH Prelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 875
LISZT La leggierezza from Three Concert Etudes
MENDELSSOHN Variations sérieuses, op. 54

In January 2014, Ryan Zhu made both his recital and concerto debuts in his hometown of Vancouver—just one week apart from each other. In addition to performances in Canada since, he was recently featured in the Mariinsky International Piano Festival in St. Petersburg and at the Oberlin School of Music as a prize-winner in the Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition. A winner of several other competitions, Ryan attends Magee Secondary School and studies piano with Mira Yevtich and Michelle Mares. He enjoys reading and writing—especially poetry and history—as well as swimming and badminton.

“Music provides a means for humans to reach deep into the profundities of the soul. However, to do so requires the utmost precision, attention, and perseverance. Only by developing one’s intellectual ability and mental maturity can the highest level of artistry be attained.”