© B. Ealovega

張弦 Xian ZHANG

新澤西州交響樂團 音樂總監
西雅圖交響樂團 候任音樂總監
米蘭交響樂團 榮譽指揮

2024/25樂季是指揮家張弦擔任新澤西州交響樂團音樂總監的第九個樂季。這位葛萊美獎與艾美獎得主亦將於2025/26樂季起正式出任西雅圖交響樂團的音樂總監。她曾在2009至2016年擔任米蘭交響樂團的音樂總監，目前則為該團榮譽指揮。

在張弦的藝術領導下，新澤西州交響樂團的音樂會影片作品在2022年榮獲中大西洋地區艾美獎兩大獎項，包括與DreamPlay Films公司聯合製作、尤里•艾維斯（Yuri Alves）執導的《EMERGE》。張弦在2008年於貝納羅亞音樂廳首度登台，之後便長期與西雅圖交響樂團合作。新冠疫情高峰過後樂團重返舞台時，張弦是首批受邀同台的指揮之一。

張弦於2024/25樂季重返紐約大都會歌劇院，指揮大衛・麥克維卡製作的普契尼歌劇《托斯卡》。這個大獲好評的版本由亞歷山德拉·庫莎克與桑德拉·拉德瓦諾夫斯基領銜主演。上一樂季張弦首次在大都會劇院指揮《蝴蝶夫人》獲得一致讚譽，《紐約古典樂評》如此寫道：

「庫莎克的出色表現有賴於張弦作為指揮對細節的敏銳掌握。張弦在音色平衡方面耳力卓越，且有能力從樂團中引導出最柔和、最透亮的音質。[…] 張弦擁有出色技巧與觀眾魅力，勢必成為大都會劇院指揮團隊中極具價值的一員。」

在擔任職位的樂團工作之餘，張弦在世界各地都是極搶手的客席指揮。她經常受邀與費城管弦樂團及洛杉磯愛樂合作，並於本樂季再次回歸兩團之聯票音樂會演出。她與費城管弦樂團及三人時光弦樂三人組合作錄製的專輯《Letters for the Future》（2022年由德意志留聲機公司發行）榮獲多項葛萊美獎，包括最佳當代古典作品（凱文·普特斯所作的《Contact》）及最佳古典器樂獨奏。

2023年張弦與波士頓交響樂團在坦格塢音樂節成功合體演出，本季她也將歸隊該團指揮。其他2024/25樂季亮點合作對象還有蒙特婁交響樂團、巴爾的摩交響樂團、加拿大國家藝術中心樂團、比利時國家管弦樂團、米蘭交響樂團，以及聖路克管弦樂團（她近期臨時受命於卡內基音樂廳指揮該團演出布拉姆斯的《德意志安魂曲》）。

張弦持續與世界眾多頂尖樂團維持良好合作關係，包括倫敦交響樂團、聖保羅州立交響樂團、休士頓交響樂團、聖路易交響樂團、舊金山交響樂團以及華盛頓國家交響樂團。

張弦對啟發培育年輕音樂家不遺餘力，促成她與茱莉亞音樂學院樂團的長期合作，該校並於2023年頒予她榮譽博士學位。本季她將重返茱莉亞學院，同時也會在阿斯本音樂節演出、和新世界交響樂團展開合作。近期則曾在加州聖塔芭芭拉的西方音樂學院教學及演出。

張弦曾擔任墨爾本交響樂團及英國BBC威爾斯國家管弦暨合唱團的首席客席指揮，她是BBC旗下樂團體制內的首位女性指揮。2002年張弦榮獲馬捷爾-維拉指揮大賽首獎，同年受聘為紐約愛樂的助理指揮，後升任副指揮並成為首位擔任該團托斯卡尼尼講座指揮職位的音樂家。

Music Director – New Jersey Symphony
Music Director Designate – Seattle Symphony
Conductor Emeritus – Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano

2024/25 will mark the GRAMMY® and Emmy Award-winning conductor Xian Zhang’s ninth season as Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra. Starting in 2025/26, she will become the Music Director of Seattle Symphony. Following tenure as Music Director of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano between 2009-16, she continues as their Conductor Emeritus.

Under Zhang’s artistic leadership, NJ Symphony won two awards at the mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards in 2022 for their concert films, including “EMERGE” which was directed by Yuri Alves and co-produced with DreamPlay Films. Since her debut at Benaroya Hall in 2008, Zhang has been a long-term collaborator of Seattle Symphony and was one of the first conductors with whom they returned to the stage after the height of the pandemic.

This 2024/25 season sees Zhang return to the Metropolitan Opera in New York to conduct David McVicar’s acclaimed production of Puccini’s Tosca, starring Aleksandra Kurzak and Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role. Zhang’s Met debut last season with Madama Butterfly received unanimous glowing reviews including the New York Classical Review:

“The success of Kurzak’s performance was due in no small part to Xian Zhang’s sensitivity as a conductor. Zhang has an exceptional ear for balance, as well as the ability to draw the softest, most transparent tones imaginable from the orchestra. […] With such skills and obvious audience appeal, Zhang should prove a valuable addition to the Met’s conducting staff.”

Alongside her titled commitments, Zhang is in high demand as a guest conductor. She appears regularly with Philadelphia Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic, returning to both for subscription concerts this season. Her recording with Philadelphia Orchestra and Time for Three, Letters for The Future (released 2022 on Deutsche Grammophon), won multiple GRAMMY™ awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition (Kevin Puts’ Contact) and Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

Following a successful collaboration at the 2023 Tanglewood Festival, Zhang also returns to the Boston Symphony Orchestra this season. Other 2024/25 season highlights include Montreal Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, NAC Orchestra, Belgian National Orchestra, Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, and the Orchestra of St Luke’s, with whom she recently stepped in to conduct at Carnegie Hall (Brahms’ German Requiem).

Zhang continues to enjoy good relationships with many leading orchestras worldwide, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Houston Symphony, St Louis Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra.

Her inspiring work with young musicians has led to numerous collaborations with the orchestras of The Juilliard School, who awarded her an Honorary Doctorate in 2023. She returns to Juilliard this season, in addition to engagements at Aspen Festival and with the New World Symphony, having recently worked at Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West.

Zhang previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and also the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales, the first female conductor to hold a titled role with a BBC orchestra. In 2002, she won first prize in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor's Competition. She was appointed New York Philharmonic’s Assistant Conductor in 2002, subsequently becoming their Associate Conductor and the first holder of the Arturo Toscanini Chair.

2025/26