Lily Peng

Violinist Nancy Zhou and pianist Serena Wang play a duet on their respective instruments. “Nancy tells a story on the violin like no one else, and Serena is just brilliant,” their manager Earl Blackburn said.

Gracefully resting her bow on the strings, violinist Nancy Zhou exchanges a glance with her accompanist before launching into a series of intricately layered harmonies. Her rapid strokes of the bow induce a crescendo of the music. Abruptly, the notes melt into a delicately smooth melody, as her eyes close, her brows relax and her whole body sways with each note.

Zhou and pianist Serena Wang showcased modern, lesser-known pieces in a performance titled “Eternal Instance: Pärt, Respighi and Franck” for the Harker Concert Series in the Patil Theater. 

They played three pieces: Arvo Pärt’s Fratres, Ottorino Respighi’s Violin Sonata in B minor and César Franck’s Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano. After the performance, attendees lined up to congratulate Zhou, ask for autographs and take pictures with her.

Their manager Earl Blackburn originally paired Zhou and Wang and believed that their individual skills complemented one another in a way that far exceeded his expectations.

“Nancy tells a story on the violin like no one else – it’s extraordinary, and Serena is just brilliant,” Blackburn said. “There are thousands upon thousands of people that can technically play these instruments brilliantly, but to really tell the story where you almost disassemble the music and put it back together – that’s what these guys are about, and that’s why I like working with them.”

Guided by her father, Zhou began playing violin at four years old and made her orchestral debut with the San Antonio Symphony at 14. A standout musician at Keystone High School, where Head of School Brian Yager was the principal, she continued her studies at the New England Conservatory. Even with a career as a renowned violinist, Zhou remains dedicated to spreading her passion through music and sharing her expertise with aspiring high schoolers musicians. 

Earlier that week, Zhou visited the orchestra, where she performed and advised students to focus not just on the technical components of a piece but also on its story. 

Inspired by Zhou’s performance at the concert, violinist Cynthia Wang (9) incorporated Zhou’s techniques and expression into her own practice.

“The power and control she has is very precise,” Cynthia said. “She has really accurate control over where her bow is going and how much strength she uses. Even though she’s playing very high notes, the notes still sound really well articulated and clear. She’s a really powerful performer and you can see how she uses her body language to express her music as well.”

She also taught a masterclass to critique select students on their personal repertoire earlier that week. Seniors Alex Zhong and Andre Lu performed a duet for Zhou, who then gave feedback on their synchronization.

“It was super informative and Nancy does a really good job of giving constructive feedback based on the person’s skill level,” Alex said. “She’s a great performer and her technique is amazing. This was a great opportunity to connect more with music and also to learn and be inspired to practice my own violin more.”

Despite having performed as a soloist with dozens of symphonies, Zhou continues to cherish the intimate moments on stage when she connects with the younger generation of aspiring musicians. 

“It’s a communion of unspoken magic,” Zhou said. “I deliver my own personal expression through the story of composers who might be dead or alive. I take on this mediator role, and if I perform well, that beauty transcends and speaks to the audience. It’s a trifecta of communication.”