Tengyue “TY” Zhang

Award-winning guitarist Tengyue “TY” Zhang, has been the 1st prize winner of six international guitar competitions including the Forum Gitarre Wien International Youth Competition in Austria, Guitar Foundation of America Senior Division, the Changsha International Guitar Competition in China, Alexander Frauchi International Competition in Russia, and the Schadt String Competition in the U.S.

As winner of the Rose Augustine Grand Prize at the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition in 2017, TY became the first Chinese competitor to be honored with this award. Recognized worldwide as one of the most prestigious competitions, TY toured the U.S with over 50 concert dates across the country as part of the award, including New York for his Carnegie Hall debut. 

His 2018 solo album on the Naxos label for the Laureate Series was received with critical acclaim by critics and was praised by Classical Guitar Magazine as: “one of the most talented young players...Every time I hear him play, I’m struck by the extraordinary levels of mastery, comfort and relative ease... And that is true on this Guitar Recital album.”

TY has given recitals and masterclasses in Austria, Serbia, Russia, China, Japan, Australia, and the United States, and has been featured on multiple media outlets including WQXR and WNYC Classical Music Radio in the U.S, NIKA-TV, GUBERNIYA-TV, and Radio of Russia. 

Just after turning five years old, TY began studying classical guitar with his father. At eight years old, he was introduced to Professor Chen Zhi, China’s esteemed guitar pedagogue, whom he studied with at the Music School of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He was then awarded a full scholarship from The Juilliard School and completed his Bachelor and Master of Music degree while studying with educator and GRAMMY Award winner, Sharon Isbin. 

TY is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Southern California under the tutelage of William Kanengiser of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet. Apart from classical guitar, TY enjoys road cycling, surfing, and traveling.