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Alvin Zhu is a 19- year-old student of Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky and attending the Juilliard School in New York. He comes from a musical family and his grandfather Gongyi Zhu was one of the judges for the Chopin International, the Van CliburnInternational, and the Queen Elizabeth International Competitions. Alvin began piano lessons with his mother at the age of four and studied piano with Ms.Yeeha Chiu and Madam Marylene Dosse. Besides the piano, he also learned violin with his father at the age of five.
Alvin Zhu was selected for "From the Top" as Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist and received a scholarship of $10,000, and the chance to performed Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 on September 29, 2007 for its nationally broadcasted radio program. Recently, Alvin has officially been inducted into The Young Steinway Artists Roster.
Alvin has won numerous piano competitions including 1st place in the Aikens-Cadman Competition in the Pittsburgh and also the Pennsylvania level, the 2007 Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artist Audition, the 2006-2007 Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition, and the PPTA Primary, Elementary, and Junior Piano Competitions. He also was the winner of the Mckeesport Young Artist Competition, the Pittsburgh Young Artist Competition, the PPTA Music Composition Competition, and the Reflections Program four times in the state level and twice in the national level. After winning the PPTA 2006 Camp Scholarship Competition, Alvin went to the Penn State University Piano Camp. During the camp, he entered the Honor Recital and won a scholarship for the next year. Alvin also participated in the Aspen Music Festival in 2008.
In 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, the Pittsburgh Classical Music Station WQED broadcasted his live performance of Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude", Chopin's Opus 10 No. 1 Etude, Debussy's "Clair de Lune", Gershwin's Prelude No. 3. Beethoven's Sonata Op. 2, No.3, fourth movement, Pathetique Sonata, Chopin Sonata Op.58 1st and 2nd movements, Chopin Polonaise Op.53 and Chopin Mazurkas Op.17, No. 4. His successful performance include New York Steinway Hall, Pittsburgh Heinz Hall, Australia Sydney Opera House, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, Pittsburgh Convention Center, China Tour performances in Beijing, Shanghai, Taicang, Suzhou and Europe Tour performance in Rome Italy.
Alvin along with the Pittsburgh Haihua Youth Orchestra, was invited to the 2004 Shanghai International Children's Cultural & Art Festival in China, the 2005 Sydney International Children's Cultural & Art Festival in Australia, the 2007 Shanghai International Children's Cultural & Art Festival in China and the 2008 Italy International Children's Cultural & Art Festival in Rome, Italy. Because of the festivals, Alvin has traveled to the countries of France, England, Germany, Austria, China, Italy, and Australia. Cities included Paris, Strasburg, London, Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Florence, Siena, Venice, Rome, Shanghai, Beijing, Taicang, Suzhou, Xian, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne.
In June 2006, Alvin performed the piano concertos, Rhapsody in Blue, Mendelssohn's G minor Concerto 3rd movement, and Chinese piano concerto "Yellow River" 2nd movement for the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center Grand Opening Concert before Lang Lang's concert with the Pittsburgh Symphony. He also performed concertos with the Nittany Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Pittsburg Butler County Symphony Orchestra. He was also invited to perform a piano solo for the International Women's Forum, and the piano concerto, "Rhapsody in Blue" for the 50th Anniversary of Pittsburgh Mckeesport Symphony Orchestra in 2008. Alvin won the 2008 Pittsburgh Civic Symphony Orchestra Solo Competition and performed Rachmaninoff Second Piano Concerto with the Pittsburgh Civic Symphony Orchestra in March 2009.
Through the generosity of the Trombino Piano Gallerie of Pittsburgh, Alvin Zhu performed on the Steinway Grand Piano "Rhapsody". This special limited edition blue piano was directly shipped from New York to Mellon Middle School for his concerto on May 10, 2005. Alvin was also invited to perform for 2007, 2008, and 2009 Pittsburgh First Night Concert on a special designed green piano "Olympia".
Alvin has had master classes with world famous pianists including Mr. Gary Graffman, Emanuel Ax, Lang Lang, Misha Dichter, Shikun Liu and David Alle Wehr.
Alvin is a multi-talented person; he also conducts, composes, play violin, viola, drum set, guitar and singing. Alvin was the concertmaster of the Mt. Lebnon High School Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Haihua Youth Orchestra. He also auditioned and performed with the PMEA Honor String Orchestra in 2005 and won placed principal viola of the PMEA Honor String Orchestra in 2008. Alvin has composed five songs, all of which include original lyrics, music, orchestration, and vocals. His two songs, "Do you love me too" and " Lovely Star" received an Honorable Mention Award in the 16th Billboard World Song Contest. His other two songs of " Let me try" and "Starlight" won the Runner Up of 2008 Song of the Year Song and Lyric Competition. Song of the Year receives entries from all over world and only the top entries achieve Runner Up status. You can listen to them under "My Music".
In addition to music, he won first place seven times in Chess and was a Chess Champion in the Pittsburgh area. He was the president of Mt. Lebanon High School in 2007 and a group leader of Haihua Youth Orchestra. During the past nine years, he performed for senior citizens regularly and gave concerts during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years at Mt. Lebanon Baptist Homes and the Pines of Mount Lebanon. He has been selected into the Mt. Lebanon High School National Honor Society (NHS), which is one of the highest honors that is awarded to high school students and the distinguished Cum Laude Society. He was also honored with the President's Education Award in 2005. His hobbies and activities include playing sports and spending time with his friends.
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