I acknowledge that the land that I work and live on is the land of the Kaurna people.
I sincerely pay my respects to them and their culture, values and beliefs;
and to elders both past and present. Always was, always will be.
Music promotes harmony,
Harmony promotes love
Love promotes life
Life promotes music
Photo credit: Emma Luker
Zhao is an exciting and highly accomplished composer, musician, producer and teaching artist - with a heart for the community and touch of an artist. Simply a creative, she is one of South Australia’s most grounded artists as her initiatives, projects and collaborations have been heavily focused within South Australia. Her works often speak about the power of reflection, the strength that can be derived from one's introspection. Believing in accessible arts, Zhao's initiatives and performances also seeks to cross boundaries - artistically, culturally and socio-economically, often connecting with audiences of a broader background.
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Zhao is also a junction for arts and communities. Her community initiatives began with founding School of Chinese Music & Arts in 2005, which is one of the first of its kind Australia-wide. It is also one of the pioneers in partnering with local councils to design programs for the ever-growing diverse demographics. With an understanding of the local community, her programs and works speak to families of all ages. Her understanding of the local community, demographics, needs and beneficial programs have urged her towards being one of the most forefront artists, who can interprete and initiate shows/programs which speaks to diverse communities and backgrounds.
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Artistically, Zhao has sought to experiment in different works each time - often playing with punctuation, textures, accents, tension and silence. A soloist & ensemble composer and player, she has been commissioned by Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Nexus Arts, Art Gallery SA, City of Adelaide on various occasions - her compositions stretch from ensembles to orchestras, art music with a touch of classical, folk, jazz and improvisations. Fond of storytelling through music , her works often tell of her beliefs and values in the power of introspection. Her works are mostly presented with ensembles - San Ureshi, Radial Quartet and Moonta Street.
In recent years, as she also evolves into being a producer of cross artforms, her shows mainly speak of unison, harmony and empathy – supporting the well-being of our younger Asian-Australians as a focus. Her most recent project Tale of the Fire Phoenix, initially commissioned by Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, later supported by Create SA, Adelaide Festival Centre on various occasions, has evolved into an accessible all ages show performed with the ASO. Touring with Musica Viva in Schools, she also co-developed the show Life is an Echo - which speaks to young audiences about the importance of space, respect for others' space and deep listening.
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Besides being Co-CEO at Nexus Arts and also Artistic Principal at School of Chinese Music and Arts, Zhao was previously CAAP's Artist Lab x SA Co-ordinator, as well as Treasurer at ActNow Theatre.