Internationally renowned violinmaker Zheng Quan is considered to be the most important figure in the field of violinmaking in the Peoples Republic of China. This has been acknowledged through his appointment as President of the Chinese Violin Makers Association in 2002.
As a graduate in 1986 of the legendary “Cremona International Violin Making School”, Professor Zheng returned to China to begin building a program to train professional makers in the “Cremona” tradition. In 1989, as the Professor and Director of the Department of Violin Making at the Beijing Central Conservatory, he founded the undergraduate program for violin making. Since the founding of the program, 50 students have graduated and many have gone on to win recognition at major international violinmaking competitions.
At the recent Cremona “Triennale” International violin competition held in the fall of 2003, six of the top twenty ranked violinmakers were former students of Professor Zheng.
As a professional violinmaker, Prof. Zheng has been awarded more than 20 prizes at international competitions. These include Gold Medals at the 9th International Tchaikovsky Competition, Italian “Baveno National Competition”, and the Bulgaria 2nd Internaional Competition. In addition, Professor Zheng has been recognized as the “Violin Making Master of China” by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.
Professor Zheng has made an enormous contribution to the cultural life in China and has laid a foundation that will insure a rich and wonderful future for violinmaking in China.
●2003- Member of the China National People’s Congress Standing Committee
●2002- President of Chinese Violin Maker Association. Director of Department of science and technology of Central Conservatory of Music
●1989-Professor Zheng established the department for undergradute/graduate studies.
●1988- Professor and Director, Department of Violin Making at The Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China.
●1983-88 Graduated from Cremona International Violin Making School, Cremona, Italy.
●1980-86 Graduated from Violin Research Lab, Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing, China.
●1978-79 Beijing Institute of Musical Instrument, Beijing, China.
Achievements:
Oct. 1985 Italy Cremona "TRIENNALE" International Competition
for Violin Making Violin (I) 5th Prize
Violin (II) 6th Prize
Nov. 1986 USA 7th International Competition of VSA Violin Certificate Award for Workmanship
Viola Certificate Award for Workmanship
Oct. 1987 Italy, "BAVENO" First National Competition for Violin Making Violin, First Prize, Gold Medal
Cello, 5th Prize
Dec. 1987 Bulgaria 2nd International Competition for Violin
and Viola Making Violin First Prize Gold Medal
Viola First Prize Gold Medal
USSR Musicians' Association
Violin making, Best Sound Quality Medal
France Violin Makers' Association Viola making, Best Workmanship Medal
Kazanluk City, Bulgaria Gold Rose Medal
Honorary Citizenship
Mar. 1989 Germany, Mittenwald International Competition for the
Violin Making Violin Finalist
July 1989 Czechoslovak, the Oskar Nedbal International Competition
for Violin Making Viola 3rd Prize Bronze Medal
Sound Quality, 3rd Prize Bronze Medal
Workmanship 3rd Prize Bronze Medal
May 1990 USSR, 9th International Tchaikovsky Competition Violin First Prize Gold Medal
Best Sound Quality Gold Medal
Violin (I) Finalist
Violin (II) Finalist
Japan Tokyo Violin Making School Best Workmanship Prize
Zheng,
