Zhang Xian, Conductor

Zhang Xian

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Zhang Xian is the New York Philharmonic’s Associate Conductor, The Arturo Toscanini Chair, a post she has held since 2005, after serving as Assistant Conductor for one year. Since making her Philharmonic debut conducting a Young People’s Concert on February 7, 2004, Ms. Zhang has led numerous concerts with the Orchestra, including three Annual Free Memorial Day Concerts at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine; a series of New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Parks; and performances during two of the Orchestra’s residencies at the Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival.

Zhang Xian’s North American guest-conducting appearances this season include the Los Angeles Philharmonic; Atlanta, Detroit, Houston, National, and Toronto symphony orchestras; and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at  Carnegie Hall with pianist Hélène Grimaud. Following a successful debut in May 2005, Ms. Zhang now works with the London Symphony Orchestra each season; other appearances in the United Kingdom have included the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, and BBC Symphony Orchestra. This season’s European engagements include appearances with the orchestras in Bamberg and Berlin, Germany; Basel, Switzerland; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France; and Vienna Symphony Orchestra at the Bregenz Festival. With the Dresden Staatskapelle she led a special New Year’s concert. Ms. Zhang also made her debut with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo.

An enthusiastic opera conductor, Zhang Xian made her English National Opera conducting debut with Puccini’s La bohème in the spring of 2007. She has previously conducted La bohème with the Valencia and Cincinnati operas. Future plans include performances of Puccini’s Tosca with Frankfurt Opera in September 2008, and a return to English National Opera in 2009–10. Born in Dandong, China, Ms. Zhang made her professional conducting debut at the age of 20 leading Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro at the Central Opera House in Beijing. She trained at Beijing’s Central Conservatory, earning both her bachelor and master of music degrees, and served one year on its conducting faculty before moving to the United States in 1998. Ms. Zhang served as assistant professor of conducting, and music director of the concert orchestra at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and music director of the Lucca Festival Orchestra at the Opera Theatre of Lucca in 2000. She is scheduled to conduct the very popular New York Philharmonic Free Concerts in the Parks throughout New York City during July.