Discover: Zee Zee, the Pianist Straight from a Storybook

Zee Zee's upbringing would have one believe that there must have been a supernatural, deus ex machina-esque intervention from the universe that worked to ensure that we witness her artistry.

For one, Zee Zee does not come from a musical family and her mother was taken aback at Zee Zee's sudden desire to buy a piano for her third birthday. At the age of five, her family moved from the comfort of their home in Shenzhen, China, to Berlin, a city of unfamiliar faces and languages. It is this unlikely pairing of discomfort, unfamiliarity, and the city's rich musical culture that Zee Zee attributes her musical upbringing to. In an interview with the Ulster Orchestra, Zee Zee shares that if it weren’t for the German taxi drivers that played Beethoven on the radio, the Wagner-inclined cafes that lined the street corners, or the company that playing piano provided her while she was still-adjusting to her new city, then she may never have grown to be the artist she is today.

These circumstances could not have been a more perfect environment to cultivate Zee Zee's natural talent. When looking back on her upbringing, Zee Zee fondly shares about her first mentor— a violinist who only taught piano on the side. This mentorship, while at first unorthodox, focused on fostering Zee Zee’s genuine interest in classical music – prioritizing playing pieces she enjoyed listening to and felt good playing.

Just like the myths and romantic literature that inspires Zee Zee's upcoming February recital, her early years in Berlin are reminiscent of fairy tales where, despite all the challenges that were set against the young pianist, she made her own way. 

The theme continued when, at the age of 8, Zee Zee and her family returned to Shenzhen. A seemingly fated, chance encounter with Dan Zhaoyi, who is widely regarded as the Godfather of Piano Education in China (Shenzhen Daily), led to Zee Zee's years studying under his tutelage at Shenzhen Arts School. 

At 18, Zee Zee continued her education at Eastman School of Music and Julliard, once again finding another home in a new country. It was during this time that Zee Zee finally got to see her inspirations live and on stage, from Maria Pires to the late Radu Lupu.

If Zee Zee's storybook upbringing had a soundtrack, it would be a compilation of all the greats that inspired and raised her to be the pianist she is today.

If you find yourself wanting to be equally as inspired, we've compiled these artists into an Official Discover series playlist:

Her hard work landed her major performances with leading orchestras worldwide such as the BBC Symphony, London Philharmonic, Belgian National Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the San Francisco Symphony. In 2013, she was selected as a BBC New Generation Artist, where she met violinist Esther Yoo and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, later forming the Z.E.N. Trio.

Z.E.N., an initialism for the first names of the members, also represents the 'Zen' philosophy with which they approach chamber music making — the forgoing of the self for total togetherness.

Today, Zee Zee is more than a soloist gracing stages globally. She also champions chamber music as founder and artistic director of the Z+ International Music Festival, one of the biggest international chamber music festivals in Asia. She founded the festival to address a gap in live chamber music programming in Asia, positioning the annual festival right in the heart of Shanghai, China, to draw audiences from all across the continent.