Peng Zhao, a pianist and Doctor of Musical Arts candidate at the University of Nevada, Reno, has been developing a reputation across the world as both a pianist and a scholar.
Zhou has become an expressive musician at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music in China. Her work includes performance, research, and teaching. When Zhou was young, she showed great promise as a student of Professor Zhenrui Jiang, who was once the head of the piano department at the Wuhan Conservatory. Zhou was accepted into the middle and high schools affiliated with the Wuhan Conservatory in 2007, later enrolling in the conservatory to pursue a bachelor's degree in piano performance, which she completed in 2017. After getting her Bachelor of Arts degree in Piano Performance from the Wuhan Conservatory, she went on to get two Master of Music degrees in Piano Performance and Music Education from the State University of New York at Potsdam. She then went to the University of Nevada, Reno, where she is now a graduate teaching assistant and pianist with the Nevada Wind Ensemble.
Zhou helped make the university's landmark album Celebrating 150 Years, which came out on Apple Music and other major streaming services in October 2024. She played the piano in the world premiere of "And the Cities Rise Like Dreams," a piece commissioned by American composer Steve Danyew. The Nevada Wind Ensemble and the university choir recorded it. Local news called the record a "milestone project," pointing out how it shows off collaborative art and fresh ideas at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Zhou's most recent performances with the Nevada Wind Ensemble include Ginastera's "Danza Final" from Estancia, Debussy's "Hommage à Rameau," and James M. David's "Urban Light." She plays chamber music in addition to working with large ensembles. She is now playing Schubert's Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Mozart's Piano Trio No. 5 in C Major, and Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor. In 2022, Zhou started a partnership with Chinese harpist Yirui Li. They planned to record their first album and work with American Harp Society chapters in Chicago and Houston.
Several international music competitions have recently recognized her talent. In 2025, Zhou won the Emotional Artistry Special Prize and the Platinum Prize in the Baroque B Category at the Berlioz International Music Competition. She also won the Grand Prize
in the Baroque B Category at the Saint-Saëns International Music Competition. She has also received the Evelyn Semenza Honts English Scholarship, the Barringere Music Scholarship, and the Margaret Ryan Sampson Scholarship from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Zhou's research enhances her performing technique. Her latest research, The Ambient and Emotional Sound World of Valtari: An Analytical Exploration (2025), looks at the sound aesthetics of the Icelandic post-rock band. Previous research encompasses An Analysis of Robert Schumann’s Davidsbündlertänze (2024) and French Court Dance in the Keyboard Suites of J.S. Bach (2019). People have praised her work for being able to connect music analysis with cultural interpretation.
Zhou has been the Director of Music Ministry at Saint Catherine of Siena Episcopal Church in Reno and has performed the keyboard for churches in Oregon and Nevada. Her work shows how much she wants to bring music and community together.
Zhou, as a unique Chinese musician, is changing the way people around the world think about classical music. From the conservatory in Wuhan to the concert stages in Nevada, she has become a real international musician.
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