biography

Grace Xia Zhao

Pianist Dr. Grace Xia Zhao brings a presence to the stage that is both grand and intimate; her ability to communicate specific emotions with her audience is profound.   "Her musicianship is distinguished by its elegance, tonal beauty and a mature understanding of style and architecture," observes distinguished pianist and piano pedagogue Antoinette Perry. "With Grace, nothing is ever done for effect; it comes straight from the heart.”   

With credits that include performances in the United States, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and China, Dr. Zhao is an award-winning, international solo, and chamber music artist. Her performances have been heard on KUSC, KASPEN and she is a frequent guest on KSCI Channel 18’s L.A. Living. She was a top-prize winner in the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists, first place in the California Music Teachers' Association Solo Piano Competition, and Brentwood/Westwood Symphony Concerto Competition.  She has received scholarships from the Leni Fe Bland Foundation, the Aspen Music School and Festival, and Mozarteum in Salzburg.  

Dr. Zhao began her music education at the age of three in Sichuan, China.  Awarded a full-tuition scholarship to study at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, she went on to earn a BM, MM, and Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Piano Performance, with minors in Music Education, Ethnomusicology and Electro-Acoustic Media. Upon graduation, she was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society for her exceptional academic achievements. Her mentors are influential artists and teachers, including Antoinette Perry, Yang Hanguo, Zhen Daxin, John Perry, and Andrzej Jasinski.  

Over the past several years, Dr. Zhao has toured China, making her solo concert debut at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, earning rave reviews from many major media outlets in China.  In January 2013, the Sichuan Music Conservatory Piano Institute offered her a Visiting Professorship. She is the third person to receive this appointment after pianists Lang Lang and Yundi Li. Most recently, she has done a lot of work with Hollywood film industry.  She recorded for the feature film “The Leading Man” and her playing can be heard on the IMAX movie “Journey to Space” showing in theatres and science museums throughout the country.  She also served as a piano consultant for the Amazon series “The Romanoffs” working with the legendary writer and director Matthew Weiner.

After 5 years as the Assistant Lecturer at the University of Southern California, Dr. Zhao currently is the AssociateProfessor of Music at the University of La Verne. Other positions she has held at the University of La Verne include Artist-in-Residence and the Interim Department Chair.

留美钢琴家赵霞博士，演奏风格庄严宏丽，又纤柔婉约，她发自内心深处的真情，总能打动观众。著名钢琴大师Antoinette Perry曾赞扬她：“她高雅的表演，优美的调性，以及对乐曲从形式到结构的深入理解，让她的音乐天才享有盛名。”她还评价：“赵霞的表演直接发自内心，因此演奏任何曲子都能举重若轻。”凭借高超的艺术表现力，赵霞曾获得洛杉矶李斯特国际钢琴比赛、埃特林根国际青年钢琴比赛、加州音乐教师协会钢琴独奏比赛、Brentwood/Westwood交响乐团协奏曲大赛等多项比赛的最高奖次。她的演奏作品也曾在KUSC、KASP等广播电台放送。

赵霞博士出生于四川成都，3岁开始习琴，12岁进入四川音乐学院附中。18岁时，她以全额奖学金被美国南加州大学钢琴表演专业录取，并成为当年南加州大学桑顿音乐学院唯一一位全额奖学金学生。学习期间，她还获得了Leni Fe Bland基金会、Aspen音乐节以及萨尔茨堡莫扎特音乐大学的奖学金。经过多年深造，赵霞在南加大获得了音乐学学士、硕士和博士学位，并在主修钢琴表演之余辅修了音乐教育、电子音乐和民族音乐学。毕业时，她被音乐学院师生推选为Pi Kappa Lambda美国国家音乐荣誉学会会员。

赵博士曾在美国、意大利、法国、德国、奥地利、瑞士和中国等多国举办个人独奏音乐会。2012年新年前后，她在中国进行了巡回演出，并首次亮相中国国家大剧院，举办钢琴独奏音乐会，获得了多家主流媒体的高度评价。2013年1月，四川音乐学院钢琴系聘请赵霞博士为继郎朗、李云迪后的第三位客座教授。除独奏以外，她也热衷室内乐。她曾与许多杰出的音乐家合作演出，包括洛杉矶交响乐团首席低音提琴手Dennis Trembly，美国著名小提琴家Vijay Gupta, 歌唱家Courtney Huffmann，也曾与意大利Barbaresco室内交响乐团、Brentwood交响乐团以及USC交响乐团合作表演钢琴协奏曲。

赵霞博士在国内师承四川音乐学院杨汉果教授、郑达昕教授，在国外，她又师从Antoinette Perry、John Perry、Alan Smith和Dennis Thurmond等教授，并曾在著名钢琴家Leon Fleisher、Misha Dichter、Andrzej Jasinski和Mack McCrary等大师座下学习和表演。

赵霞博士曾在加州大学洛杉矶分校、加州大学长滩分校、南加州大学以及加州州立大学讲学。2003起，她在南加州大学钢琴系兼职任教5年。2008年取得博士学位之后，即被美国洛杉矶拉文大学聘为副教授、驻校艺术家，同时担任钢琴部教育主管。

赵霞博士时常与好莱坞电影电视制作合作。她的钢琴演奏曾在几部大片里收集，包括“A Leading Man”和IMAX 纪录片“Journey to Space”。她曾担当亚马逊大片”The Romanoffs” 的钢琴指导与大导演和编剧Matthew Weiner合作。