ZHENGZHONG ZHOU

BARITONE, STAGE DIRECTOR, PROJECT TOURING • WORLD MANAGEMENT (EXCLUDING CHINA)

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ABOUT

Chinese baritone Zhengzhong Zhou graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of professor Zhang Renqing, and teaches at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music where he holds the title of Associate Professor. 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, and Third Prize at the International Singing Competition of Toulouse. He was awarded the scholarship from the Centre national d’insertion professionnelle d' artistes lyriques to undergo a 2-year internship at Marseilles. He was a member of the Jette Parker Young Artists Programme at Covent Garden before he joined the ensemble of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Zhou now enjoys a successful career on the international operatic stage, having performed at many leading opera houses. He has collaborated with renowned conductors including Donald Runnicles, Andris Nelsons, Seiji Ozawa, Daniel Oren, Tang Muhai and LüJia, and performed leading roles in operas including Rigoletto, Roméo et Juliette, Madame Butterfly, Salome, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, La Boheme, Faust, Le Nozze di Figaro, Les Pêcheurs de Perles, The rape of Lucrecia, The rake’s progress, AI‘s variation, La Traviata, Tea-the mirror of soul, and Die lustige witwe. Zhou has performed recitals in Singapore and Germany as well as in London. Concert repertoire includes Schubert’s Schwanengesang cycle, Melodies of Duparc, Liederabend of Mahler and Debussy, and in 2023 he sang a Rachmaninov concert tour in China. In addition, he has participated in a recording of Werther for Deutsche Grammophon and of Le portrait de Manon for Opera Rara. He has also taken part in recordings of Anna Nicole, Rigoletto, Tosca, and Madame Butterfly for Opus Arte Royal Opera House.
Hugh Canning wrote of Zhou’s performance in Faust that he was the undisputed best interpreter of the character Valentin, regarding 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 Zhou Zhengzhong as the “Master of Verdi” after listening to his singing, while British conductor Sir Antonio Pappano characterised him as having an exquisite tonality and fabulous cantabile.
Recent engagements include Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro produced by National Centre of Performing Arts China. Spanish romantic song tour in China.
As a producer and stage director, Zhou has produced his eco-opera series. The company’s operas, which are economical and therefore perfect for small scale production and for touring, include Don Giovanni, la Boheme, Rigoletto and the Poet’s love (Rodolfo and Mimi, Werther and Charlotte’s love story).
Please note: this biography is valid for use in the 24-25 season. Biographies are updated regularly, and we ask that they are not altered without permission. For updated version, please e-mail: rachel@srcreativeconsultancy.com / SR Creative Consultancy