Pianist Shichao Zhang and local cellist Stephanie March will perform at Morningside College at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, in Eppley Auditorium.

Schichao Zhang Stephanie March

Pianist Shichao Zhang and local cellist Stephanie March will perform at Morningside College at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Ave.

The recital will include pieces by Beethoven, Piazzolla, Foss and Chopin.

Zhang is originally from Beijing, China. He came to the United States in 2007 to study at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. He has been featured in solo recitals, chamber music concerts and concerto performances at major concert halls in China and the United States. He has debuted compositions of contemporary Chinese composers.

He has won numerous competitions, including the Hong Kong – Asia Piano Open Competition, the Eastman School of Music Concerto Competition and the New York Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) – Steinway Young Artists Competition. More recently, he has been invited to judge and perform at such competitions.

Zhang received a bachelor’s degree in piano performance with highest distinction from the Eastman School of Music in 2012 and a master’s degree in piano performance and literature from Eastman in 2014. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Eastman. He also is a studio teaching assistant there and was the winner of the 2013-2014 Eastman TA Prize.

A native of Sioux City, March began her cello studies at age 3 with Joseph Shufro. Ten years later, she joined the Sioux City Symphony, becoming the orchestra’s youngest member. Her four-year tenure with the orchestra culminated in a performance in 2007 as a soloist in the Beethoven Triple Concerto. She also performed as a soloist with the orchestra in March as part of the orchestra’s centennial celebration.    

March earned a bachelor’s degree with highest distinction from the Eastman School of Music, where she served for four years as rotating principal in the Eastman School orchestras. She then attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., on full scholarship and earned her Master of Music degree in 2013. That year March won the MTNA Young Artist String Competition in Anaheim, Calif.

She has performed with the National Repertory Orchestra, New World Symphony and Omaha Symphony. During the 2014-2015 season, she was associate principal cellist with the South Dakota Symphony and a member of the Dakota String Quartet.  She has appeared as a soloist with the South Dakota Symphony, Fort Dodge Area Symphony, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony and the Cherokee Symphony.

March is the daughter of Jim and Kathy March of Sioux City. She and her parents teach in the music department at Morningside College.