K nown for her probing musical voice and searing virtuosity, Nancy Zhou seeks to invigorate appreciation for the art and science of the violin. Her thoughtful musicianship resonates with a global audience in such a way that brings her on stage with leading orchestras around the world.

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More than 20 years since her orchestral debut, Nancy has collaborated with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Munich Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Kansas City Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony,  among other ensembles. 

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A passionate soloist who cherishes chamber music ​collaborations and commits to the responsibility of education, Nancy has performed at festivals including the Verbier Festival, Tongyeong Music Festival, Paganini Genova Festival, and Marvão Festival; she is a regular guest educator at various international summer festivals, holding not only masterclasses but also workshops on fundamental training and wellbeing for musicians.

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Over the years, the violinist's interest in cultural heritage and the humanities manifested in a string of notable collaborations across the US and in China. In collaboration with the New Jersey Symphony and Xian Zhang, she presented Zhao Jiping's first violin concerto at Alice Tully Hall; gave the US premieres of Unsuk Chin's "Gran Cadenza" for two solo violins with Anne-Sophie Mutter; performed Chen Qigang's "La joie de la souffrance" with the Rogue Valley Symphony; and, in partnership with the La Jolla Symphony, gave the West Coast premiere of Vivian Fung’s Violin Concerto no. 1. On the other side of the globe, the past season saw Nancy bringing three cornerstone concerti to China in a five-city tour; her collaborative partners included the Shanghai and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestras, and the China and Hohhot Philharmonics.

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In the summer of 2025, Nancy embarks on a research trip with Canadian-born Chinese composer Vivian Fung to Zhexiang, China - the hometown village of the violinist's mother, a former professional Bouyei folk dancer. The project culminates with a work for violin and electronics that explores the intersection of music as a cultural force and folk minority culture. In October 2024, Nancy recorded her debut album, Stories (re)Traced, in response to these questions. The album features four seminal and inextricably connected works for solo violin, including Béla Bartók’s Sonata, and releases this summer with Orchid Classics.

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The 24/25 season brings returning engagements with the New Jersey Symphony, performances with Orquestra Vigo, Puerto Rico Symphony, San Antonio Philharmonic, Oregon Coast Music Festival Orchestra, Hangzhou Philharmonic, and Guiyang Symphony, as well as recital appearances in Boston, Mexico, Portugal, Taiwan, and China.

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Born in Texas to Chinese immigrant parents, Nancy began the violin under the guidance of her father, who hails from a family of traditional musicians. She went on to study with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory while pursuing her interest in literature at Harvard University. Since 2019, she is an Associated Artist of the Queen Elisabeth Chapel and in September 2023, she was appointed Professor of Violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Nancy plays on an 1815 Giovanni Battiste Ceruti violin.

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2024/2025 season. Not to be altered without permission.