Tristan Zhang, 14, is an oboist from Rochester, New York, and a freshman at Pittsford Mendon High School. He has been playing the oboe for 5 years and has been playing in the Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (RPYO) for 3 years. He has been the oboist in the Hochstein School of Music’s Scholarship Woodwind Quintet since 2022 and participates in his school’s concert band, pep band, jazz ensemble, and pit orchestra, where he demonstrates leadership to his peers and encouragement to young musicians.
Tristan was principal oboe in the concert band at the Monroe County School Music Association (MCSMA) Junior High All-County festival (2022 & 2023), MCSMA Senior High All-County festival (2024), and principal oboe in the orchestra at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Junior High Area All-State festival (2022 & 2023).
Tristan won the RPYO Concerto Competition (2023), where he performed W.A. Mozart’s Oboe Concerto at the Eastman School of Music’s Kodak Hall in June 2024, 1st place in the Miclot International Music Competition in New York City, New York (2023) where he was invited to perform at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Massachusetts, 1st place in the Medici International Music Competition in London, UK, (2023), Gold Prize in the Amadeus International Music Awards (AIMA) in Salzburg, Austria (2023), 2nd place in the Vincent Lenti Piano Competition at the Eastman Community Music School (2024), and 1st place in the Genesee Symphony Young Artist Competition (2024), where he performed Mozart’s Oboe Concerto with the Genesee Symphony Orchestra in December 2024. Tristan has also participated in a masterclass with pianist Vincent Lenti at the Eastman Community Music School (2024).
In addition, Tristan has been playing piano for 9 years, English horn for 2 years, and alto saxophone for 2 years.
In 2022 and 2023, Tristan received a scholarship at the Hochstein School of Music as a member of their Scholarship Woodwind Quintet, as well as the Thomas Donohue Scholarship at the Eastman Community Music School in 2023.
In 2024, Tristan performed at the Rochester International Jazz Festival with his school’s jazz ensemble.
Aside from music, Tristan enjoys playing soccer and doing math. In 2023, he earned a first-place medal at the Science Olympiad Division B regionals competition.
He is an avid Titanic fan, displaying his handmade Titanic models in various libraries around Rochester to spread his fascination of the ship and its story.
He participates enthusiastically in social activities and community service. Since 2017, Tristan has participated in non-profit organizations such as Dazzling, Music for Love, and Chinese Youth Orchestra, bringing classical music to senior centers in the Rochester area and spreading Chinese music in various cultural celebrations.
You can find Tristan’s 20th Century Music Competition 2024 oboe performance here.