張曼琴 - 新加坡國立大學楊秀桃音樂院副教授 Man-Qin Zhang- The Assistant Professor at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory

張曼琴女士出生於中國湖南，5歲開始學習小提琴，10歲被上海音樂學院附小錄取，兩年後成功舉辦首場公開演出。1988年，她第一次作為中提琴手的上海四重奏在英國普次茅斯國際絃樂四重奏比賽中獲獎，並得到了小提琴大師梅紐因的大力推崇，從而開始了她精彩的中提琴演奏生涯。1990年從上海音樂學院附中畢業後，張曼琴女士便獲得美國曼哈頓音樂學院全額獎學金，師從於當時著名中提琴大師Emanuel Vardi。她立刻展現出她非凡的演奏才能，第二年獲得美國哥倫比亞中提琴比賽第一名，同年也在普裡姆羅斯國際中提琴比賽中獲得獎項。

張曼琴女士在中提琴的才華很快得到了美國音樂大師們的肯定，在留學美國不到4年的時間，年僅23歲的她便被美國底特律交響樂團音樂總監Neeme Jarvi任命為中提琴助理首席，成為該樂團歷史上的第一位亞裔，同時也是最年輕的團員，成為當時美國古典音樂界頗為轟動的新聞。她成為樂團的中流砥柱，多次隨團巡演歐洲、北美和亞洲，也頻繁地參與美國室內樂和音樂藝術節的演出，成為當時美國古典音樂界非常活躍的中提琴家之一。

回到亞洲後，張曼琴女士為中提琴在亞洲發展做出了舉足輕重的貢獻。作為世界一流的中提琴演奏家，她頻繁地和亞洲職業樂團合作，在亞洲各地演奏沃爾頓中提琴協奏曲、巴爾托克中提琴協奏曲、帕格尼尼中提琴大奏鳴曲、布拉姆斯中提琴奏鳴曲等重量級的中提琴獨奏作品。除了擔任新加坡交響樂團中提琴首席職位之餘，張曼琴女士受邀作為客座首席，參與了亞洲各大交響樂團比如“唐吉軻德”、“哈羅爾德在義大利”等演出，讓亞洲觀眾有機會欣賞到世界級的中提琴獨奏。

張曼琴女士作為世界一流的中提琴演奏家，近年致力提高中國和亞洲的中提琴演奏水準和地位。在她擔任新加坡國立大學楊秀桃音樂學院中提琴系主任的近十年中，培養了大批的中提琴演奏者，影響遍佈各大職業交響樂團和國際著名音樂院校。她受邀在亞洲各地的音樂藝術節和音樂學院舉辦中提琴大師課，受到了熱烈的反響。

張曼琴女士現定居新加坡，任新加坡國立大學副教授，同時也擔任新加坡交響樂團中提琴首席職位。

Prior to her current positions in Singapore, Ms Zhang was the first Asian player and youngest member in the history of the orchestra while she was appointed Assistant Principal Viola by music director Neeme J?rvi at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) in 1994. She toured more than half a dozen times with the orchestra in major European cities and in North America including Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, London, Rome, Vienna, Poland, Switzerland, and Japan. Ms Zhang has worked closely with conductors and soloists such as Claudio Abbado, Lorin Mazel, Simon Rattle, Zubin Metha, Michael Tilson Thomas, Isaac Stern, Yo Yo Ma, Pinchas Zukerman, Gil Shaham, Midori, and Emanuel Ax. During her tenure at the DSO, she was a resident artist at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, a member of the DSO Chamber Music Ensemble and DSO String Quartet, and a participant and performer of the Chamber Music Festival at Blue Lake in Great Michigan area. She also regularly performed with the Detroit Chamber Winds.

Born in Hunan, China, Ms Zhang started her violin lessons at the age of five and entered the Shanghai Conservatory of Music at the age of 10. She successfully made her debut public performance at the age of 12. In 1991, she was a finalist of the Primrose International Viola Competition; as a violist of the Young Shanghai String Quartet, she also won the 4th prize of the Portsmouth International String Quartet Competition in 1988, and 3rd prize of the Prague International Competition for String Quartet in 1987. With her talent, she completed her performance diploma in viola with highest honours at the Shanghai Conservatory before she migrated to the United States of America in 1990. Later, she was accepted as a full scholarship student to work on her bachelor's degree and professional studies in viola with Emanuel Vardi at the Manhattan School of Music.

As an active visiting professor, she has coached and conducted masterclasses at major musical institutions in mainland China, such as the conservatories of Shanghai, Xinghai (Guangzhou), Sichuan, and Wuhan. A much sought-after chamber musician, Ms Zhang has performed regularly in chamber music concert.