Press
Press materials, biography, quotes, and high-resolution photos for media use.
Short Biography
Zhenwei Shi is Principal Viola of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, appointed by Robert Spano at age twenty-three. He has appeared as soloist, chamber musician, and guest principal with leading ensembles including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and is a member of the Georgian Chamber Players. Recent highlights include performances of Berlioz’s Harold in Italy with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Kodály’s Adagio for Viola and Piano with pianist Julie Coucheron at Spivey Hall, and a chamber performance of Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence at the Aspen Music Festival with Augustin Hadelich. A prizewinner of the Lionel Tertis, Johansen, and Hong Kong International competitions, Shi serves on the artist-faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School and is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Full Biography
Recognized for his warm, centered tone and expressive artistry, Zhenwei Shi is a compelling violist, equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader. His performances have been praised for their lyrical depth and emotional immediacy, with critics describing his playing as "extraordinary" and "bordering on superhuman”.
Appointed to the Edus H. & Harriet H. Warren Principal Viola Chair of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra by Robert Spano at just twenty-three, Shi quickly became an audience favorite and highly respected among his colleagues. During the 2025-2026 season, Shi was Principal Viola of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, where he was granted tenure by Music Director Manfred Honeck. In the 2026-2027 season he will return to his Principal chair at the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra under Nathalie Stutzmann.
Recent highlights include acclaimed performances as a soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Berlioz's Harold in Italy, Kodály's Adagio for Viola and Piano with Julie Coucheron at Spivey Hall, a featured chamber concert with violinist Stefan Jackiw, and a performance of Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence with violinist Augustin Hadelich at the Aspen Music Festival and School.
An avid chamber musician, Shi is a member of the Georgian Chamber Players, a group formed by principal players of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in 1984 in order to perform masterpieces of the chamber repertoire with their colleagues as well as world-renowned guest instrumentalists. He has collaborated with artists including Steven Isserlis, Joshua Bell, Jeremy Denk, David and Julie Coucheron among others. His performances have taken him to Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Buckingham Palace, and Shanghai Concert Hall. Shi has served as guest principal with the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Lakes Area Music Festival. His performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio and NPR's Performance Today.
Shi began his viola studies with Li Sheng at the Middle School of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. He is the recipient of First Prize at the International String Players Competition in Hong Kong, Third Prize at the Johansen International Young String Players Competition, and the Special Jury Prize at the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition. He was awarded the Regent's Award by the Royal Academy of Music and the Duchess of Gloucester, where he studied as both a Drake Calleja Trust and ABRSM Scholar under Paul Silverthorne, Roger Chase and Juan-Miguel Hernandez.
After graduating with a first-class honor degree from the Royal Academy of Music, he attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for his master’s degree. Shi serves on the artist faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School. Originally from Guangzhou, China, he is committed to sharing the expressive possibilities of the viola with audiences and students alike.
Press Quotes
There is something extraordinary — and bordering on superhuman — that happens when Shi steps into the foreground.”
Shi’s musical ease and grace...his deep, woody and smooth tone never faltered.”
...an utterly captivating soloist.”
Shi embraced his solo role with a warm, centered tone and long lyrical lines, allowing the viola to emerge organically from Berlioz’s orchestral textures.”
Shi’s exquisite viola tone basked in the warm, sunny Berlioz harmonies, singing out with a carefree panache.”