About Zo

Zo is a multi-instrumentalist, educator, and producer living in Los Angeles. As a child Zo studied western classical violin, attending music school in the Bay Area, and began to study the erhu during high school. This experience led him to attend UCLA where he received a BA in Ethnomusicology and Minor in Visual and Performing Arts education. At UCLA, he was able to study and focus on middle eastern violin and playing silk and bamboo music on the erhu. Since graduating he has performed with groups like the Layali Zaman Orchestra, Souhail Kaspar Near East Ensemble, and the Los Angeles Arab Orchestra.

Zo has a passion for arts education and reform with a forte teaching erhu, and violin. He most recently directed the Chinese music program for Santa Monica Youth Orchestra, where he also taught beginning violin, and guitar and ukulele. He has guest lectured at UCLA and taught at University High School, The UCLA Community School, all in addition to creating programming and educational performances for institutions like The Hammer Museum, the Getty, and the Museum of Oriental Musical Instruments in Shanghai.

In 2018, Zo moved to Shanghai for the Confucius Institute Arts Fellowship, where he worked with the Shanghai Museum of Oriental Musical Instruments (东方乐器博物馆) and continued his erhu studies at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The following semester he worked with Shanghai Community Radio while studying audio engineering at the conservatory.

Returning to LA, Zo ran the Chinese music program for Santa Monica Youth Orchestra in addition to starting his private studio. He taught over 100 students of all ages, creating curriculum for a wide range of settings. He continues to perform with the Los Angeles Arab Orchestra, and in pop settings with both violin and erhu; in addition to doing sound design and audio engineering. As a working audio producer and musician, he helps introduce different musical pathways to his students.