Ying Zhang – Artistic Director

Ying Zhang is a pianist devoted to revealing the emotional depth and narrative resonance of the piano repertoire. Known for her refined sound, clarity of expression, and instinctive sensitivity to musical lines, she brings an intimate and compelling presence to the stage. A versatile performer active as a soloist and chamber musician, she has appeared in concerts across Canada, the United States, and China.

Born in China, Ying received her formative training at the Conservatory of Music’s affiliated middle and high school before pursuing advanced studies in North America. She holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music in Piano Performance from the Schulich School of Music at McGill University, as well as a Post-Graduate Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Her artistic development has been shaped through work with John Perry, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Anton Nel, Ronan O’Hora, Jean Saulnier, Lydia Wong, Manchun Chen, and Henry Kramer. During her studies at McGill, she was recognized with the Paul-Marcel Gélinas et Verna-Marie Parr Gélinas Piano Award for academic and artistic excellence, and received the Outstanding Achievement in Piano award as a graduating undergraduate for excellence in piano studies.

Ying maintains an active performance profile spanning solo recitals, chamber collaborations, and contemporary ensemble work. Her repertoire includes Classical and Romantic masterworks, as well as significant twentieth-century and newly commissioned compositions. With the McGill Contemporary Music Ensemble under Guillaume Bourgogne, she has performed works by Toru Takemitsu, Tania León, and Canadian composer Francis Battah – premiering his Traduttore, Traditore. Her chamber collaborations include ongoing projects with vocalists and instrumentalists across North America and the formation of Duo Y, a violin-piano partnership established during a residency at Camp Musical du Saguenay.

Her 2026 engagements feature performances across major Canadian cities, including Montreal for The Blue Lounge Concert Series, Kingston for the Cataraqui Chamber Music Festival, as well as concerts in Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax, Regina, and others, presenting a diverse program that spans solo and chamber repertoire.

In August 2025, Ying began serving as Artistic Director of Harmonaire Musique, overseeing artistic programming, curatorial direction, and the development of the organization’s concert initiatives. Fluent in Mandarin and English and proficient in French, she continues to pursue projects that emphasize emotional transparency, cultural resonance, and the evolving role of the pianist in contemporary artistic life.