A native of Qingdao, China, Ning Zhang encountered the clarinet after pursuing a career as a professional Ping Pong athlete for ten years. Under the guidance of the esteemed clarinet pedagogue Fan Lei, and with her passion for music, just two years later, Ms. Zhang was awarded the First Prize of the National Youth Music Competition of China, transcending her sportsmanship on musical stages. In the following years, she has continued her success in solo contests, winning major competitions including the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition, the National Society of Arts and Letters Competition, and the Adelphi Chamber Orchestra Solo Competition.  

Ms. Zhang’s leadership as an emerging international musician extends beyond solo clarinet playing. During the past years, she has been invited as a guest performer at various international music festivals, including Verbier Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and The National Orchestra Institute (U.S.), among many others, sharing her music with audiences around the world.

As a devoted pedagogue, awarded the Teaching Fellowship at Juilliard in her sophomore year, Ms. Zhang has been teaching Ear Training and Music Theory courses at Juilliard since 2017. In 2020, Ms. Zhang was invited to the overseas branch of The Juilliard School in Tianjin, guiding the Pre-College Wind Ensemble as the Course Advisor.

Following the completion of her Bachelor and Master of Music studies at Juilliard in five years through the highly selective Accelerated BM/MM Program in 2020, Ms. Zhang is currently pursuing her Doctor of Music Arts degree at The Juilliard School, under the guidance of the celebrated clarinetist Charles Neidich.