Rong Zhang

Rong Zhang holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Kent Tritle and Dr. Ronnie Oliver. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree with academic honors from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, followed by a Master of Music degree and Graduate Diploma in Choral Conducting from the New England Conservatory, where she studied with Erica Washburn and William Drury.

In 2026, Rong was named the winner of the Respighi Prize in Conducting and made her Carnegie Hall conducting debut with the Chamber Orchestra of New York, conducting Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals as part of the orchestra’s Children’s Tales program. Her other recent honors include the Platinum Prize in Conducting from the Georges Bizet International Music Competition, First Prize in Conducting from the Classical Music Stars International Competition, Gold Prizes in Conducting from the Debussy and Global Genius international music competitions, and a Gold Prize in Choir/Ensemble Music Conducting from the Erik Satie International Music Competition.

Rong has worked with professional, academic, and community ensembles in the United States, Europe, and China. She has appeared as a guest conductor with the Berlin Radio Choir, working closely with chorus master Simon Halsey and conducting the ensemble in concert at St. Elisabeth Kirche in Berlin. Her guest-conducting engagements have also included Navy Band Northeast, Cambridge A Cappella Group, the Shanghai Opera House Chorus, and the Choir of the Shanghai University for Science and Technology. Rong serves as a Director of the Boston Chinese Musicians Association, with previous assistant conductor appointments at the Oratorio Society of New York, the West Village Chorale, and the Lincoln Center Search for Spring Project.

In addition to her work as a conductor, Rong is a trained pianist and won first prize in the Hong Kong International Piano Competition.