Aug. 4 - The press conference for the concert tour of “Magic Piano & the Chopin Shorts by Tim Zhang” in China and the 1st “Future Star” International Arts Festival 2015 were held in Beijing. The pianist was sponsored by the British quintessential department store House of Fraser (HOF). Sean Ang, head of the preparatory group of HOF China, attended the conference and delivered a speech.

Co-sponsored by Baotou Grand Theatre, Beijing Concert Hall and Beijing Eurovista Arts Promotion Co., Ltd., the 1st “Future Star” International Arts Festival 2015 will be held in Baotou, Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin from August 3 to 21. The festival aims to provide a platform for young musicians and outstanding music groups to stage performance in China, thereby promoting domestic and foreign musical culture and artistic exchanges. Tim Zhang, the Young Steinway Artist and image ambassador of the “Future Star” International Arts Festival, will be clad in the house-brand costumes authorised by HOF during the whole tour, instilling British style in it.

Born in Nanjing of China’s Jiangsu Province, Tim Zhang migrated to Canada in his childhood. He took to piano at the age of 5, and learned under the tutelage of Sasha Starcevich, the renowned Canadian pianist, when he was 9 years old. At the age of 15, he was granted special admission to Mannes College of Music. Later he obtained the master’s degree of the Royal Music College, and was awarded the title of Young Steinway Artist. His bravura performance is highly acknowledged by maestros both at home and abroad. This time, the piano prodigy was invited to play background music during the China tour of the animated audio-visual concert in the arts festival. With novel forms, the concert will present music that characterises the animated short films Magic Piano and the Chopin Shorts.

In 2014, Nanjing Cenbest acquired the 165-year-old HOF. In the latter’s Business Engagement Conference in London this April, Tim Zhang was invited to stage a gorgeous piano play for the 1,000-strong international suppliers and partners of HOF.

Sean Ang noted that this year is China-Britain Culture Year, Tim Zhang graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in the UK, and that HOF is also a fashion department store with British Royal Warrant distinction—these UK-related elements have brought the pianist and the store together. HOF will not only inject the cutting-edge British style into this art event, but also set foot in China to provide consumers with pure British shopping experience.