John Zhang

Born in Sweden in 1994 to Chinese parents, John began to study piano at age five with Valentin Hevlund of Romania.  It was clear to both his parents and teacher even then that he practiced with great diligence and enthusiasm, to the point where Mr. Hevlund once commented “Watching John play, I can now understand how the Great Wall was built.”

At age nine John was accepted as a training student at The Malmo Academy of Music in Sweden, and also joined their Piano Forum, a project for young pianists.  It was there that he received formal piano education from more senior students, as well as Marianne Jacobs, pianist and lector of the Academy, who acted as a mentor.  John would then go on to study with Mikael Kanarva, and at age twelve won a gold medal at the Berlinske Tidenes Music Competition in Denmark. The following year he took first prize at the Steinway Piano Competition in Stockholm, while also winning the highest piano scholarship from the Royal Academy of Music.

The praise for this now fifteen year-old pianist has been both ongoing and considerable.  Hans Palsson, in an article written for South Swedish Daily said “He is an extreme virtuoso and has an amazing mastery of the instrument,” and a caption in an edition of Swedish Daily read “John Zhang Predicted a Future World Star.”