Dizhou Zhao

Born and raised in China, Dizhou Zhao started piano study at age four in his hometown of Shanghai. His talent was evident at a young age with his winning first prize at competition in Shanghai as well as performing his first public concert at age seven. One year later Dizhou was invited to record five piano sonatas by Mozart. At the age of eleven he enrolled in the preparatory Music School of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied for six years.

In 1996 Dizhou was invited as the youngest competitor of the Cong-A International Piano Competition in Seoul, South Korea. One year later he performed the Prokofiev Piano Concerto, No. 3 in C major with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra with only ten days' notice. In 1999 Dizhou received a full scholarship award from New England Conservatory in Boston, MA. He came to study with Russell Sherman and later on with Patricia Zander for his Bachelor Degree in Piano Performance.

During the summer of 2000 he participated in the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal and performed solo repertoire and chamber music. In 2001 Dizhou won the New England Conservatory Competition and in the same year he performed Schumann's Piano Concerto in A minor with the NEC Honor orchestra in Jordan Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.

In spring 2003 Dizhou completed his Bachelor Degree with a distinguished performance award, and in May 2005 he finished his Master Degree, again with a distinguished performance honor, under the guidance of Alexander Korsantia. In September he won third prize in the Tbilisi International Piano Competition in Tbilisi, Georgia.

In January 2006 he won the Special Chopin Award in the first USASU Piano Competition in Arizona. In the same year he was invited to give two solo recitals in the Newport Music Festival and received great reviews by Channing Gray from the Providence Journal. In July 2007 Dizhou won the Dorothy Mackenzie first prize award and in September the third prize in the Viardo Competition in Dallas, TX. The same year he won first prize in the Southern Highland International Competition in Australia, and first prize in the Louisiana International Competition, that included concerts in France, Russia, and Australia and a solo performance at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in November 2007. In 2008, Dizhou was invited to record his first piano solo CD in Moscow under the "classical record" label. In 2009, Dizhou was invited to play Stravinsky piano concerto with Queensland orchestra, the critics acclaimed concert was recorded for the ABC radio for broadcasting. Three month after, he won the 2nd prize in "the World Competition" in Cincinnati, OH. In October, he won the "Special Recognition" Award in the "San Antonio International Competition" in San Antonio, TX.

Currently, Dizhou is working with Mr. Sharon Boaz in Boston University for his DMA degree with full scholarship award, after receiving Artist Diploma from Longy school of music.