Hitting the right notes

In 2014, he was admitted to study at the New York-based Juilliard School with a full scholarship, and is currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in music.

He decided to pursue his studies at the Juilliard School because his mentor Chen was hired as a professor at the school in 2014.

Chen says Niu Niu possesses "an untold passion and aesthetic that belies his tender age".

The young musician says that his parents never pressed him to practice as a child.

His father, who opened a music school in Xiamen, Fujian province, 25 years ago, let him stay in his classes, which enabled him to become immersed in music from a very young age.

And his mother, who was a banker, quit her job to help him study music.

"I came to the piano bench myself and I believe that I should do something which I am passionate about. My parents don't want me to copy the life or experience of another pianist so I didn't participate in piano competitions," says Zhang.

He also says that his parents prevented him from reading reviews about his performances so that he wouldn't be influenced by other people's opinions as a child.

"Piano playing itself is not a pressure for me. On the contrary, it's a great way to release pressure by playing pieces I like," the pianist says.

"Piano playing is a very solitary work. Most of the time you have to work alone. But what holds any musician through their career is the original passion and love for music."

The pianist says that perfecting musicianship is about the time spent on the music. As a child, he spent three to five hours practicing and as an adult, he practices five hours on a daily basis.

Zhang, like many children learning music, had to sacrifice a lot. He recalls that about the age of 8, he felt bored and rebellious. Sensing her son's rebellion, his mother asked him to make a decision－to continue or quit.

"She told me to make a choice. After a few days of consideration, I decided to continue. I feel grateful that I made the right decision," he says.

Dave Tam, director of classics & jazz at Universal Music Group China, says: "Though a child prodigy like Niu Niu started from a very high level, he still has the passion for music and is humble about the music he plays."

Like many young adults, Zhang likes a variety of music styles besides classical music, including songs by American stars Usher, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake as well as pop music from China, South Korea and Japan.

"Any music that touches an individual is good. Any good music conveys certain messages to listeners. That's what I want to do with classical music. I look forward to doing crossover collaborations in the future," he says.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn