Zhan Shu

Zhan Shu joined the first violin section of The Cleveland Orchestra in 2018 and was appointed Assistant Concertmaster by Music Director Franz Welser-Möst in January 2026.

Before moving to Cleveland, Shu was a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra where he was acting Associate Concertmaster for the 2008–09 season. Shu also served as concertmaster of the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra and Symphony of Southeast Texas, and as guest concertmaster of the Quad City Symphony Orchestra, Xi’An and Changsha symphony orchestras, and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival Orchestra.

As soloist, Shu has performed with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Midland-Odessa Symphony Orchestra, Indiana University Philharmonic, Texas Music Festival Orchestra, Mannes Orchestra, and Hunan Symphony. Shu has also participated in the Sarasota Music Festival, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Sunflower Music Festival, and Pacific Music Festival. 

 Shu received his early training from the preparatory school attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. He is a graduate of Mannes College of Music in New York, the Moores School of Music at the University of Houston, and the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Shu’s mentors include Xiao-Zhi Huang, Lucie Robert, Emanuel Borok, Mauricio Fuks, and Alexander Kerr.

In 2021, Shu held an adjunct assistant professorship at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Since fall 2023, Shu has been teaching the Orchestra Repertoire for Violin class at Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

 Shu plays a c.1874 violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume.