Biography

The Chinese guitarist Jianhao Zhou is a graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he majored in classical guitar under the guidance of his Taiwanese teacher Danny Ye. During his undergraduate years he attended many masterclasses, with leading players, such as Shin-ichi Fukuda, William Kanengiser, Alvaro Pierri, Jason Vieaux, David Tanenbaum, Judicael Perroy, Pavel Steidl and Fabio Zanon. He also received great encouragement from the famous Cuban guitarist, composer and conductor, Leo Brouwer, and at the age of 17 was awarded first prize at the national classical guitar competition in China.

In September 2020 Jianhao enrolled on the Masters programme at the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Michael Lewin, and soon made rapid progress, participating in livestreamed solo recitals and, coached by Stephen Goss, several concerts of chamber music with guitar. During this first year his recorded submission to the Telemann Fantasias Competition was selected as one of the winning entries; and in May 2021 he gained first prize in the 21st Ivor Mairants Guitar Award, administered by the Worshipful Company of Musicians.

While in his native country, Jianhao performed on Shanghai Radio and Television in a 2017 charity concert for the blind and the following year recorded the song Born to be different for an episode of the TV series Beijing Women’s Guide. He also developed his interest in popular styles of music, including jazz, for which he mostly uses a metal-strung, acoustic guitar. Making his own arrangements, he won first prize in the 2019 Woodpecker Acoustic Guitar Festival, which is China’s principal competition for this genre.

Page Updated: April 2022

Musicians’ Company Award: Ivor Mairants Guitar Award 2021

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