Performances + Events
Institute for Concert Artists Recital: Jingdan Dani Zhang, Soprano | Journey from Longing to Belonging
Jordan Hall
Performers in this highly selective two-year program pursue the Conservatory’s prestigious Artist Diploma through recital and showcase concerts and with the support of a full-tuition scholarship and stipend, dedicated mentorship, and comprehensive career-development guidance.
French mélodies by Duparc, Poulenc and Liszt — American art songs by Barber and Rorem — and new arrangements of contemporary Chinese art songs (some of which will be American premieres) form tonight's program, "Journey from Longing to Belonging."
Jingdan Dani Zhang ’26 AD studies voice with Bradley Williams and is the recipient of a scholarship made possible by the Richard M. and Priscilla Hunt Fund for Opera Students and the Cecilia Youngdahl Artist Diploma Scholarship Fund.
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Artist(s)
Jingdan Dani Zhang, soprano
Soprano Dani Jingdan Zhang made her debut with Opera Hong Kong as Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale at Hong Kong City Hall, followed by an acclaimed performance as Musetta in Puccini’s La Bohème at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre. Her other operatic roles include Poppea (Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea), Ruth Baldwin (Later the Same Evening), Ilia (Idomeneo), Cleopatra (Giulio Cesare), and Nedda (I Pagliacci). She has also performed partial roles such as Nannetta (Falstaff), Micaëla (Carmen), Euridice (Orfeo ed Euridice), and Cunegonde (Candide). She most recently sang Agnes in Ulysses Kay’s Frederick Douglass with Odyssey Opera and Valencienne in Franz Lehár’s The Merry Widow with Opera Hong Kong. In the 2025–2026 season, her upcoming engagements include performing the role of Zhu Yingtai in the world premiere of contemporary opera The Butterflies with Sichuan Symphony Orchestra, Adina in The Elixir of Love, and Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro at New England Conservatory.
As a concert soloist, she made her debut under the baton of Yu Long with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra (HK Phil), singing the soprano solo in Fauré’s Requiem at HKU MUSE. During the HK Phil’s 50th anniversary season, she was invited to perform in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Sylvia Chang and Lio Kuokman, and later appeared as soprano soloist in Poulenc’s Gloria with Chloé Dufresne. In addition, Dani performed Bach’s Mass in B minor in collaboration with the Hong Kong Bach Choir, conducted by Jerome Hoberman. In Macao, she performed Bach’s Easter Oratorio and excerpts from Handel’s Messiah with the Macao Orchestra and Learners Chorus. She also featured in the Opera Hong Kong 20th Anniversary Gala Concert and performed soprano solo in Carmina Burana with the Sichuan Symphony Orchestra under Shinik Hahm at the Sichuan Cultural and Arts Center. Recently at NEC, Zhang appeared as soprano soloist in the Philharmonia’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 under Hugh Wolff.
Dani has been recognized in both international and national competitions, winning the Finalist Award at the 2022 Donizetti International Singing Competition (Italy), the Gold Award at the 2023 PREMIA International Young Artists Music Festival Competition — which also invited her to perform at the Prizewinners Gala Concert at Carnegie Hall in New York — and First Place at the 14th Chinese Golden Bell Award for Music (Hong Kong competition area). A star of Radio Television Hong Kong’s 2019 Young Music Makers, she has been featured in numerous television and radio productions, including The Sound of Art, The GBA Concert Hall, and the interview series Musicians’ Terrace. As an emerging artist, she performed at the Beijing Great Wall Cultural Festival and the Shenzhen Cultural Center.
Dani is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma in Opera Studies at NEC under the tutelage of Bradley Williams. Apprenticed under Professor Nancy Yuen, she received her bachelor’s (Honors) and master’s degrees with distinction from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. She has participated in master classes led by renowned artists including Susan Graham, Diana Damrau, Sumi Jo, José Carreras, Nelly Miricioiu, Graham Johnson, Heidi Stober, Shenyang, and Warren Mok.
