Ohrid, 11 August 2024 (MIA) – The Ohrid Summer Festival resumes on Sunday with a concert performance by Chinese soprano Wanzhe Zhang and Serbian pianist Dejan Sinadinović.

Wanzhe Zhang is a prominent Chinese soprano whose celestial artistry has transcended borders. Hailed as the first Chinese female lead at the National Opera of Belgrade, Zhang is a visionary advocate for global cultural exchange and youth music education. As President of the Universal Artists Foundation and Vice President of the Chinese-Serbian Center for Scientific and Cultural Exchange, she has spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives bridging the East and West through the profound language of music.

Zhang’s illustrious career has showcased her vocal mastery on the world’s most prestigious stages, including the United Nations Headquarters, Boston Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, Kolarac Hall, Belgrade Philharmonic Hall, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and Hangzhou Grand Theatre. Beyond the stage, Zhang has championed artistic diplomacy through impactful cultural exchange programs.

She organized landmark tours by 12 renowned U.S. music institutions to China, hosting the “Voice Internationalization Forum” and “Vocal Education Seminar” at the Central Conservatory of Music. For over a decade in Europe and America, Zhang has produced esteemed international music festivals, competitions and “Belt and Road” initiatives in partnership with Belgrade Cultural Center – leaving an indelible impact on the region’s artistic landscape.

Zhang’s artistic odyssey began with intensive training under tenor Haitao Hei at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music, followed by mentorship from American soprano Karen Holvik at New England Conservatory in Boston, where she earned graduate degrees. In 2019, she became the first Chinese doctoral candidate in Vocal Performance at Belgrade University’s Faculty of Music, studying under the tutelage of French arts laureate Katarina Jovanović.

Sinadin (Dejan Sinadinović) is a pianist and professor at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade. Through his teachers Arbo Valdma and Eliso Virsaladze, he is connected to significant pedagogical traditions, drawing influence from both Artur Schnabel on one side and Jakov Zak and Heinrich Neuhaus on the other.

He has performed in prestigious European concert halls, giving over a hundred solo recitals at festivals in Italy, France, Spain, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, England, Montenegro, Greece, Northern Cyprus, Denmark, Turkey, Russia, Romania, as well as in the United States, Canada, and China.

Sinadin has conducted numerous masterclasses and lectures, notably at the Rimsky- Korsakov Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He has collaborated with Polish philharmonic ensembles in Rzeszow (Artur Malawski Podkarpackie Philharmonic) and Wroclaw (Witold Lutoslawski Memorial Philharmonic), the Symphony Orchestra of Rome, and chamber quartets such as Artis Quartet and Minetti Quartet from Vienna, the Italian Meridies Quartet, and the international ensemble Synergia6. He has participated in major festivals in the region, including those in Zadar (Music Evenings in St. Donat), Osor (Osor Music Evenings), Budva (Theatre City Festival), Dubrovnik (Dubrovnik Summer Festival), and festivals Bemus and Bitef in Belgrade. During a highly successful tour in China in 2023, he performed at the China Shanghai International Arts Festival and gave concerts, lectures, and masterclasses in major cities. 

He collaborates with eminent artists in various chamber ensembles and, alongside singer Katarina Jovanović, co-founded the Memnon Duo. He is also the founder of the Silk & Wind duo with soprano Wanzhe Zhang. Sinadin has released three compact discs for the Spanish label KNS Classics and twelve CD editions for Anima Records in Paris.

The concert will be held at St. Sophia Church at 9 pm, featuring works by Schumann, Yi Zhou, Ding Shande, Tzu Huang and Tcherepnin. 

Photo: Ohrid Summer Festival