Bio
A native of Sichuan, raised in Kelamayi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, Zhou Juan graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing where she received her BA and MA degrees in Composition, studying with Guo Wenjing. Her hard work made her the top student at CCOM. In 2004, she entered CCOM Graduate School with 1st-place achievement and waiver of entrance exams. In 2007, she was awarded as the first Edgar Snow Fellowship student from CCOM and started pursuing her doctoral degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), instructed by Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, Chen Yi and James Mobberley. She is now a UMKC Chancellor’s Doctoral Fellowship student.
As a young composer, Ms. Zhou received awards including Chinese Music Golden Bell Award of the Association of Literature and Arts of China, 12th GEDOK Confederation of Associations of Women Artists and Patrons of the Arts International Composition Competition, “Liu Tianhua” Chamber Composition Competition for Chinese Traditional Instrument, 2009 “Palatino” Awards, Staunton Music Festival Emerging Composer Award and both 2008 and 2009 UMKC Chamber Composition Competition. She received commissions and fellowships from Nieuw Ensemble, Kansas City Electronic Music & Arts Alliance, Mizzou New Music Summer Festival, New Dramatists Composer-Librettist Studio, Virginia Arts Festival, California Summer Music, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Arts, Chinese Education Ministry, Fu Chengxian Commemorate Scholarship Foundation, Bao Steel Education Award, Viacom - Summer M. Redstone Fellowship, and Edgar Snow Foundation for her outstanding achievement on- and off-campus. Her music has been performed in Beijing, Hong Kong, Germany, the Netherlands and the United States, and is well recognized for its infinite imagination, drama and delicacy.
Resume
Zhou Juan was born in Sichuan Province in 1981 and raised in Kelamayi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Gobi desert of Northwest China.
Ms Zhou began to write music at the age of eight. During the early 90s, her songs Our Hope, Spring and Village Child were published in professional publications under Chinese Musicians Association, including Children Music and Young Artist.
In 1996, Ms Zhou began her academic study of music in Beijing. She is in Kansas City.
Education:
2007-present University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance
DMA (music composition). Study with Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, Chen Yi and James Mobberley
2004-2007 Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing.
MA (music composition).Composition study with Guo Wenjing; qin performance with Li Xiangting
1999-2004 Central Conservatory of Music
BA (music composition). Study with Guo Wenjing, Ami Maayani, and Fan Naixin
1996-1999 China Conservatory of Music, High School, Beijing.
Composition study with Shi Wanchun and Wang Yueming
Accomplished Instruments qin (Chinese ancient seven-string zither); piano
Award
2010
UMKC Women Council GAF
2009
Staunton Music Festival Emerging Composer Award
“Palatino” Award the 4th Music Composition (vocal music) Competition
Kansas City Electronic Music & Arts Alliance Newbie Commission
UMKC Chamber Music Competition
UMKC Chancellor’s Doctoral Fellowship
UMKC Women Council GAF
2008
UMKC Chamber Music Competition, 1st Place
3rd “Liu Tianhua” Chamber Composition Competition for Chinese Instrument
Kansas City Chorale Crescendo Competition for Choral Works
UMKC Conservatory Top 10 Award
2007
Snow Scholarship from Edgar Snow Memorial Foundation
UMKC Conservatory Top 10 Award
2005
Fu Chengxian Commemorate Scholarship
Central Conservatory Excellent Graduate Student Award
2004
Central Conservatory Vocal Composition Competition, “Best Composition”
2003
Chinese Musicians Association Musical Works Chamber Music Competition
2002
Composition Award, Chinese Association of Literature and Arts 2nd Chinese GoldenBell Award for Music
Viacom-Sumner M. Redstone Fellowship
2001
GEDOK (Verband der Gemeinschaften der Künstlerinnen und Kunstförderer e.V.) 12th International Composition Competition for Female” (Germany,) the Fuchs-Award
National Baogang Education Award
2000-2004
Chinese Education Ministry People’s Scholarship, 1st place
1999
Central Conservatory of Music New Student Full Scholarship
1997-1999
China Conservatory of Music Elitist Student Scholarship
Musical activities & highlights
2010
Impro: Drunken Crazy, qin performance, UMKC Chinese Scholar & Student Association Chinese New Year Celebration, UMKC Pierson Center, Jan. 31
Second Language Study: Water Your Memory, Composers’ Guild Concert, UMKC Grant Hall, Feb. 16
2009
Ringbell-Farewell, Composers’ Guild Concert in UMKC White Hall, Feb. 2nd
Tuning, UMKC Musica Nova final concert,2009 Chamber Music Competition, Feb. 12th
Ringbell-Farewell, in Faculty Recital of UMKC Conservatory Academy, Mar. 7th
Wind performed by Grammy Winner, Kansas City Chorale, Mar 20-21
Chinoiserie: qin lecture recital, traditional repertoire and new compositions by Ms. Zhou at the Kansas City Nelson – Atkins Museum of Arts, Apr. 24th
Attend 2009 Virginia Arts Festival John Duffy Composer Institute, premiere of opera Wu Kong I, May
Today, On the Silk Road for qin solo, premiere at “Concert for Global Peace” presented by the International Visitors Council of Greater Kansas City
Presentation at KKFI 90.1FM Station, Sep.23rd
Interview, Zhou Juan’s musical life, at KKFI 90.1FM, Oct. 21st
2008
Second Language, premiere in the Final Concert of UMKC Composition Chamber Competition
California Summer Music. If the Light Sees Me and Tuning, premiere at the final concert
Ringbell-Farewell was performed in KcEMA concert series at Kansas City Neon Gallery
Temple –Lingyin, premiere in KcEMA concert series with the Kansas City Urban Culture Project at La Esquina; gu qin and bass clarinet version was performed in Composers’Guild Concert at UMKC Grant Hall
Leaves of Grass was selected and performed in ScoreXchange project of Adorno Ensemble
Tale of the Fox – Painted Skin was premiered in the first CO(mp)LLABORATIONS project
The Sun Rises on the UMKC Chinese New Year Celebration
2007
Leaves of Grass was performed in the UMKC Composers’ Guild Concert
2006
Wind commission and premiere, at the 15th Anniversary Commemorate Concert of Fu Chengxian Scholarship, Concert Hall of CCOM, Nov. 24th
Scent of West Wind commission and premiere, Xu Hui’s Erhu recital, CCOM Concert Hall, May 15th
2005
Ming commissioned by Nieuw Ensemble, Den Hague, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Scheveningen, Oct. 12-15
2004 Lou Lan - the Lost World, performed by Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra “Music from the heart II”, Hong Kong Cultural Center, June 6th
2003 Erhu Concerto Tide of River Han on Liu Beimao’s original tune, Commemorate concert of Liu Beimao by Chinese Youth Orchestra, Beijing University Commemorate Hall, and Concert Hall of CCOM
2002 War, premiere, Composer Student Concert, Concert Hall of CCOM
2000 Female, premiere, Composition Freshman Report Concert, CCOM Recital Hall
Teaching Experience
2007-present University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas C
Instructor of Non-Western Music, Ensemble for Composers, Senior Composition Studio
Mentor
2007-2009 Smith-Hale Middle School, Ruskin High School, Paseo Academy of Performing Arts
Lecturer of music theory & music composition, Composer-In-Teaching-School Program
2000-2006 Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China
Graduate Assistant
Translated for Master Lectures commissioned by Foreign Affair Office; assisted “Beijing Modern Music Festival” of 2004, 2005, and 2006; 2005 “Musicacoustica – Beijing,” and many academic affairs. 2005-2006 Center for Electro-acoustic Music of China, Beijing, China
Instructor
Designed & instructed composition classes
2004-2007 School of Music, Central University for Nationalities, Beijing, China
Faculty
Designed and instructed classes in music composition with focus areas of Orchestration, Counterpoint,
Contemporary harmony
2003-2004 Music Dept., Beijing Education Collage, Beijing, China
Instructor
Designed and instructed music classes for Advanced Education of Beijing region middle school teachers