BLUES ZHANG / 張耀之

Currently a Year 11 Greendale Scholar at the Colburn Music Academy, 16-year-old Blues Zhang was born in a musical family. Following his early studies with his mother, Ms. Zhang Xi, a violinist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, and Mr. Jeremy Williams, music director of the Yew Chung International School, Blues is now under the tutelage of Mr. Martin Beaver.

Blues has won numerous awards including First Prize in the Concerto Class and Second Prize in the String Sonata Class of Hong Kong Youth Catania Music Competition and Ming Classics Online International Classical Competition. He has participated in and won top prizes in various categories in the Hong Kong School Music Festival for nine consecutive years, which includes the Hong Kong Strings Scholarship for Stringed Instruments, Violin Concerto under 19 and 13, Violin Duet Senior and Intermediate Category and String Quartet Junior Category.

Blues is currently the concertmaster of the Hong Kong Camerata Strings and has also served as the concertmaster and assistant concertmaster of the Diocesan Boys’ School’s String Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra respectively. Blues was awarded a music scholarship at the Diocesan Boys’ School for two consecutive years and was also the youngest member to be selected to participate in the 29th Asian Youth Orchestra with a full scholarship. He participated in the 2021 Heifetz International Music Institute with the support of the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation.

Blues is an active musician and has collaborated with the Hong Kong String Orchestra, the Hong Kong Generation Next Arts, and the Gustav Mahler Orchestra. Recently, he has also appeared as a soloist with the Hong Kong Youth Orchestra, performing the 1st movement of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. He has also performed in various masterclasses including Frank Huang, Kirill Troussov, Janoska Ensemble, Pavlo Beznosiuk, Jing Wang, Leo Phillips, Liang Chai, Richard Bamping, and Leung Kin Fung.

Blues is a recipient of the 2021-2022 Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund which sponsors his pre-college program.

Blues現年十六歲，就讀美國柯爾本音樂學院預科班十一年級。生於音樂家庭，他四歲起隨母親，香港管弦樂團小提琴手張希學習小提琴，後師從Jeremy Williams ，耀中國際學校音樂總監，現在柯爾本跟隨Martin Beaver 習琴, 並連續兩年獲頒學校獎學金。

無論在本地及國際性的小提琴比賽中，Blues均屢獲殊榮。包括香港青少年卡塔尼亞音樂大賽小提琴協奏曲冠軍和弦樂奏鳴曲組別第二名，瑞士明日古典雲端國際音樂大賽D組第二名。他於2011-2019年間連續九年在香港校際音樂節小提琴比賽中勝出，其中包括弦樂獎學金公開組，小提琴協奏曲十九歲和十三歲以下組別，小提琴二重奏高級組和中級組，弦樂四重奏等。

Blues現爲港弦室樂弦樂團首席，他曾是拔萃男書院弦樂團首席和交響樂團助理首席，2019年跟隨樂團出訪歐洲多國，過去兩年也獲頒男拔音樂獎學金。此外，作爲年齡最小的團員，他還參與了2019年亞洲青年管弦樂團的巡迴演出。他亦參與2021暑假舉行的Heifetz 國際音樂夏令營，並獲頒Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation 獎學金。

Blues活躍於香港樂壇，曾參與香港弦樂團，香港新世代藝術協會，馬勒樂團演出。近期的演出還包括與香港青年樂團合作演奏柴可夫斯基小提琴協奏曲第一樂章。Blues也曾多次參與大師班的示範表演，其中包括Frank Huang, Kirill Troussov, Janoska Ensemble, Pavlo Benznosiuk, Leo Phillips, Richard Bamping, 王敬，柴亮，梁建楓等。

Blues剛獲頒2021-2022 香港賽馬會音樂及舞蹈信託基金獎學金，全額支付他赴美進修。