Young Pianist Tim Zhang Gives Performance at Tsinghua

The current 22-year-old Chinese-Canadian pianist was born in Nanjing and started playing the piano at age five. Tim has studied the piano under world-renowned Canadian pianist Sasha Starcevich since he was ten, and was later admitted to the Mannes College of Music in New York following the guidance of Professor Pavilina Dokoska and Vladimir Valjarvic.

Tim, at the age of 12, received the highest score in the Canadian Music Competition and was dubbed as a musical prodigy by the media. He enrolled at the Royal Academy of Music in the UK when he was just twenty, and was named a Steinway Artist after receiving a dozen of national and international competition awards. He was also the cultural ambassador for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games.

In 2015, Tim started his concert tour in China. Talking about his musical journey, he took Tsinghua as an unforgettable place to communicate with young people through music.

At Tsinghua’s “Chopin: Magic Piano” concert, Tim performed various styles, from Beethoven through to Chopin and Liszt.

After the intermission, the audience was allowed a glimpse of the adventures of Anna and her cousin Chip Chip. The "Magic Piano" tells a story of Anna, a girl whose dad had to leave Poland to work in London. Anna and Chip Chip finds a broken piano, but magically transform it into a flying machine which takes them across Europe on a journey in search of Anna’s dad.

When he plays the piano, it seems as if his fingers are dancing on the keyboard, making beautiful melodies. “Music is a language without national boundaries. It is not just the notes and the rhythms, but the whisper of the soul,” said Tim. "The Piano is in a sense my partner. Music and playing the piano are a very important part of my life. “

Playing the piano is a way for him to express his thoughts and convey happiness and positive energy.

"Usually, when I am playing the piano, I am quite relaxed, especially on the stage. It is when I am most engrossed, I tend to get lost in the music” said Tim. “When I am playing the piano, I feel a natural connection with the music. There is a special relation between the piano and me. It is hard to describe the feeling in words. “

Talking about playing the piano, Tim noted that different people have different ways of expressing their understanding of music. “If one can show what he wants to express in the most natural way, he is a successful player.” Tim also said, “I wish to devote myself fully to all my performances and play the piano with my all emotions and passion.”

Tim started his 2015 concert tour early this year. Tsinghua was his second stop in Beijing and the 18th concert held in China.

"The university has a significant influence on the development of art and culture,” said Tim. “Young people love coming up with new ideas and they’re the most creative. Tsinghua has the best students from all over China and they are the future of the country. That’s why I feel very happy to hold a concert here and be able to communicate with them. “

While students of Tsinghua enjoyed Tim’s impressive performance, Tim was equally impressed by the students at Tsinghua.

Xu Yuan, a second year Master’s student in Chemistry who is on the keyboard team asked Tim for some advice on Chopin’s Schezero No.1 op. 20. In return, Tim said: “The student has a much higher level than I expected. He is very clever and knows music very well. He played even better than some students at music schools. I am quite surprised. ”

"It would be helpful for young people to get in touch with and learn more about various forms of the arts when they are at university. Especially for those top universities in China such as Tsinghua, well-educated students who have a good grasp of humanities and arts will be better role models for other young people,“ said Tim.

Best known for its science and engineering research, Tsinghua also has a long tradition of developing the liberal arts education. The university has always promoted a learning environment where social studies and science, as well as the arts and culture, are of equal importance to be a well-rounded elite student. Since 2002, Tsinghua has integrated arts courses as part of the undergraduate elective courses. The university also puts a high priority on the development of the Tsinghua Student Art Troupe, which attracts over 1300 undergraduate, Masters, and Ph.D. students.

"Cherishing the value of the arts, universities will play a more and more important role in the development and cultivation of the arts,” said Tim.

(By Hannah, Grace)