Kailai Zhang is a violinist, violist and educator based in the Baltimore–Washington area. A graduate of the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, he holds both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree in violin performance, where he studied with Keng-Yuen Tseng.
Born in Inner Mongolia, China, Zhang began studying the violin at the age of six. His musical development has been shaped by a wide range of performance experiences, from orchestral playing and chamber music to teaching and music festivals. He has performed with orchestras including the York Symphony Orchestra, Winston-Salem Symphony, Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Erie Philharmonic, Maryland Symphony Orchestra and New World Symphony.
Zhang has been an active participant in prestigious orchestral training programs and festivals. He was a full-scholarship fellow of the National Orchestral Institute + Festival in 2023 and 2024, where he also participated in the institute’s recording project with Naxos Records. He has also participated in the Ravinia National Seminario as a violin mentor and coach. In 2025, he served as assistant concertmaster of the Avanti Orchestra in Washington, D.C. That same year, Zhang joined the world-renowned Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, as a viola fellow.
Alongside his professional music career, Zhang has developed a strong interest in science and engineering and is pursuing additional studies in mechanical engineering. His interdisciplinary interests reflect his curiosity beyond music while continuing to shape his approach to learning, teaching, and problem-solving.
Watch Kailai Zhang perform Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, 1st Movement by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky on the violin for the 2026 World Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.