Zhang Xiaobo is a Guzheng performer and sociological researcher currently enrolled in the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, The University of Tokyo. She is a Research Fellow of the SPRING GX “Next-Generation Development Program.”

She began studying the Guzheng in early childhood under Jiang Miao, Director of the China Oriental Orchestra. She has also received personal guidance from renowned Guzheng virtuoso Wang Changyuan, French pianist and educator Hélène Berger, and American harpist Lisa Tannebaum. Through these cross-cultural encounters, she has continually expanded the depth and breadth of her musical expression.

Zhang has received numerous awards in international competitions, with performance engagements spanning China, Japan, Korea, Europe, and the United States. In addition to solo recitals, she actively engages in international collaborations, creating diverse performance formats that integrate the Guzheng with Western instruments. She firmly believes that music is not merely a display of technique, but a bridge between societies and cultures. Through both performance and research, she is committed to fostering multicultural dialogue from the perspective of “Music × Society.”

In September 2025, she was invited to join the Asian Art Association Singapore (Chinese Traditional Instruments), serving as a judge for the "World Guzheng Competition" and becoming a Lifetime member.

I have always regarded music and society as inseparable. The Guzheng, as one of the most representative traditional instruments of China, is not merely a sonic art form but also a social symbol—one that carries cultural memory, historical narratives, and collective identity. As both a performer and a sociological researcher, I seek to explore social structures and transformations through musical practice: how music responds to economic, political, and cultural environments of its time, and how it acquires new meanings through cross-cultural exchange.

On stage, my focus extends beyond technique and aesthetic beauty. I aim to create a social “field” through musical interaction, allowing audiences to experience both cultural difference and resonance. In academic research, I examine musical phenomena through a sociological lens, investigating how art functions as a medium that transcends national boundaries and how it reshapes the relationship between tradition and modernity in a globalized context.

For me, music is not only personal artistic expression but also a form of social action. It promotes understanding, connects communities, and stimulates reflection, offering a gentle yet powerful force for transformation in contemporary society. I hope that traditional Chinese music will be heard and understood around the world.

2003, First Prize (Gold Award), Children’s Solo Division, 9th International Guzheng Competition.
2005, At the age of nine, held the “China Oriental Symphony — Zhang Xiaobo Guzheng Solo Concert,” certified by Guinness World Records as the youngest solo concert performer in the world, and broadcast globally on China Central Television (CCTV).
2006, Included in The Dictionary of Chinese Musicians · Artistic China, edited by the Ministry of Culture of China.
2008, First Prize, Youth Guzheng Solo Division, 3rd Hong Kong Chinese Cultural Arts Festival International Music Competition.
2017, Grand Prize, 1st “CHINA EXPRESSIONS 2017” Korean Chinese Talent Competition, hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Yeongdeungpo District Government, and KC Cooperative Development Planning Committee.
2019, Awarded the “Republic of Korea Art Contribution Grand Award” at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea.
2022, Honganji Award, 4th Fukui Prefecture New Generation Traditional Performing Arts Competition (Japan).
June 2023, Special Prize, 23rd Kobe “China Music Competition” (Japan).
July 2023, Jury Chairman’s Award and Sole First Prize in the Ethnic Instruments Division, 26th Yangtze River Cup International Music Competition.
November 2023, Harris Award and First Prize (General Division), 11th Shimoda International Music Competition (Japan).
January 2024, Hyogo Prefectural Board of Education Award and First Prize (Strings Division C), 29th KOBE International Competition (Japan).
March 2024, Organized the “China Oriental Orchestra × The University of Tokyo Zheng Research Society” Concert and Cultural Exchange Event.
April 2024, Participated in the 20th “2024 Japan–Italy Cultural Exchange Concert,” organized by the KOBE International Music Competition Executive Committee and supported by the Consulate-General of Japan in Milan.
July 2024, Organized the “China–Japan Friendship in Strings” Cultural Exchange Concert in collaboration with China Oriental Orchestra, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo University of the Arts, Kunitachi College of Music, and Tokyo University of the Arts High School of Music.
October 2024, First Prize (Folk Instruments Division) and Cap Ferret Music Festival Scholarship Special Award, 25th Osaka International Music Competition (Japan).
June 2025, Participated in the Winners’ Gala Concert of the 25th Osaka International Music Competition.
July 2025, Invited to perform at the Cap Ferret Music Festival in France as a Cap Ferret Music Festival Scholarship Special Award recipient and Guest Artist.
July 2025, Absolute First Prize, Special Venue Music Awards 2025, American International Music Competition; invited to present solo recitals at Harvard University and Carnegie Hall in September.