Founder & Artistic Director

Dr. Tong Zhang is a pianist, educator, and adjudicator whose work centers on piano performance, pedagogy, and the development of young musicians.

She began her piano studies at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music at the age of four and gave her first public recital at the Shenyang Theater at age five. She has since appeared in solo and collaborative performances in both China and the United States, including concert series presented by Steinway & Sons in Shenyang and the Summit Concert Series in Rochester. She was also named Image Ambassador of POLY Real Estate Group Co. in Shenyang.

Dr. Zhang received her Bachelor of Music degree with distinction in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Professor Rebecca Penneys. She earned her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at Northwestern University under the guidance of Professor James Giles. As a recipient of the Dorothy A. and Claude R. Langford Keyboard Fellowship, she completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Literature at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, studying with Professor Timothy Ehlen and pursuing piano pedagogy with Professor Christos Tsitsaros.

An active performer and pedagogue, Dr. Zhang has more than ten years of teaching experience. She has served as a piano instructor in the Piano Laboratory Program at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and at Northwestern University’s Music Academy, and has presented on piano pedagogy at the Illinois State Music Teachers Association (ISMTA) Conference. In addition to her teaching activities, she has served as an adjudicator for piano competitions.

Dr. Zhang’s students have received numerous top prizes in national and international competitions, including the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competitions in Paris and Bonn, the U.S. International Open Music Competition, the Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition, the Prima Volta Music Competition, the Great Composer Music Competition, and the San Francisco International Innovative Music Competition. Her students have been admitted to leading conservatories and universities, including Juilliard School Pre-College, San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College, Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, and Northwestern University.

As Founder and Artistic Director of Aetna Music & Arts Foundation, Dr. Zhang is dedicated to advancing accessible, rigorous, and sustainable music education. Her pedagogical approach emphasizes healthy technique, attentive listening, and the long-term development of musical understanding through patience, clarity, and artistic integrity.