Breaking musical boundaries

"The profound culture and history of my hometown, Suzhou, has nourished my interest in Chinese flutes. For instance, the bamboo flute is widely used in Kunqu Opera (among China's oldest operas that dates back more than 600 years). So, I grew up listening to the music played on Chinese flutes," says Zhang.

"For many, traditional Chinese music may sound old and out of fashion. But it's not true and we, as traditional Chinese musicians, should let the wonderful results be seen by more people."

Zhang, who has more than 20 albums to his credit, has led his orchestra to perform globally many times.

In 2017, the orchestra toured France, which let Zhang meet up with French composer Arthur Thomassin, who is the director of the Conservatoire Departemental de Musique-Danse-Theatre de Bobigny in Paris.

Then, impressed with the performance, Thomassin proposed that Zhang teach his instrument at the conservatory.

"The bamboo flute will complete the flute family very well at the conservatory and Zhang is a musician of great humanity, great sensitivity and with a masterful technique," Thomassin says, adding that the flute is an ancient instrument but it straddles the worlds of traditional and contemporary music.

Meanwhile, Zhang is preparing teaching materials and will fly to Paris early next year to launch the course.

Thomassin says the next step will be to start classes for Chinese instruments like the erhu and the guzheng.