Biography

Wen Zhao is an acclaimed pipa virtuoso, “a sensitive and lyrical performer”. Born in Beijing having studied under the renowned pipa master Wang Fan Di at the China Conservatory of Music. In 1990 Wen continued her musical journey in England,performing and leading Chinese music workshops throughout the U.K. Wen lives in Toronto since 1997 and teaches pipa at York University. She is a co-founder of the Lute Legends Collective, which is a performing association of musicians who represent ancient plucked-string traditions.
Wen has appeared at major ethnic music festivals worldwide, touring in China, Europe, Canada, and the USA, and has given solo recitals on many concert series and at universities. In recent years she has collaborated with some world’s top Western ensembles, including Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Toronto Consort as well as other organizations dedicated to music education. She is especially honored to be one of the featured musicians for the CBC award-winning documentary film The Four Seasons Mosaic. The Toronto Star described her as “a virtuoso player who displayed her dexterity and percussive skills on the pipa,” while a reviewer in WholeNote magazine described her as “the Jimi Hendrix of the pipa.”