Berklee to Present Wang Leehom Scholarship to Haiyang Zhu

Berklee College of Music will present a four-year, full-tuition scholarship honoring Chinese-American singer-songwriter Wang Leehom ’99 to Haiyang Zhu this fall. The scholarship, which was announced last fall, was created for a talented and deserving musician from mainland China who has demonstrated their potential to make a significant contribution to society through music. Zhu is a promising pianist, bassist, and rock musician.

Zhu grew up in a family surrounded by Chinese folk music and culture. His father is a Chinese flute performer, and his mother is a traditional Chinese painter. Zhu began playing flute at age four, and began his training in piano at age 10. As a student at the prestigious Xi’an Conservatory of Music, he learned composition and bass, forming a rock band called Red House with friends. While in high school, he received accolades for his music by finishing in third place in a prominent regional piano competition.

“I am honored to be the recipient of the Wang Leehom Scholarship to Berklee,” said Zhu. “I look forward to joining the college this fall, where I hope to advance my composition and instrumental skills with some of the most talented musical peers in the world."

Known as the King of Chinese Pop, Wang is the best-selling Mandarin-language musician of his generation, with millions of albums sold around the world. His songs combine contemporary and traditional Chinese music with pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and classical, often introducing his listeners to these various forms for the first time. He is a recipient of multiple Golden Melody Awards (the Grammys of Taiwanese music) and is a cultural ambassador, bringing Chinese music to audiences around the globe.