Zhengzhong Zhou
Zhengzhong Zhou is a professional opera singer and a lecturer at Wuhan Conservatory of Music He graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of professor Zhang Renqing, and teaches at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music. He is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including the First Prize of opera category and Second Prize of French art songs category at the International Opera Singing Competition of Marmande, the Third Prize at the International Singing Competition of Toulouse. He also awarded the scholarship from the Centre national d’insertion professionnelle d’artistes lyriques to undergo a 2-year internship at Marseilles. Thereafter, he was admitted to the Royal Opera House under the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme before he joined the Deutsche Oper Berlin as an ensemble member.
Zhengzhong Zhou is highly active on the international opera stage, having performed at many leading theatres. He has collaborated with both Chinese and foreign renowned conductors such as Donald Runnicles, Andris Nelsons, Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Oren, Tang Muhai and Lü Jia, and played the leading role in operas, including Rigolettom, Roméo et Juliette, Madame Butterfly, Salome, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Boheme, Faust, Le Nozze di Figaro and The Love for Three Oranges. In addition, he has participated in the recording of Werther by Deutsche Grammophon and Le portrait de Manon by Opera Rara. He has also recorded Anna Nicole Rigoletto, Tosca, and Madame Butterfly by Opus Arte Royal Opera House and so on.
In renowned classic music critic Hugh Canning’s commentary on Zhengzhong Zhou ’s performance in Faustus, he characterised Zhou as the undisputed best interpreter of the character Valentine, be it his image, voice, language and performance. Other critics include Tim Smith from the British Magazine Opera, who described his interpretation of an earl has led Le Nozze di Figaro toward a climax and enabled a well-knit performance. Chilean newspaper El Mercurio lauded him for his “melodious voice and convincing performance”. Famous Tenor Carlo Bergonzi referred to Zhengzhong Zhou as the “Master of Verdi” after listening to his singing, while British conductor Sir Antonio Pappano characterised him as having an exquisite tonality and extremely cantabile.
In the future, Zhengzhong Zhou plans to play the leading character in Il barbiere di Siviglia and Les Pecheurs de Perles produced by National Centre of Performing Arts, China, in Faust produced by Chile National Opera House and collaborates with Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra of Madame Butterfly and Mahler: Symphony No. 8 in E flat major.