About
Instrument: Violin
Sharon Zhao is in her final year at Meriden School, where she is a full music scholar. She is studying violin with Professor Ole Bøhn at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music’s Rising Stars program, where she is a recipient of the Victor Cromack and Melba Alma Harris Scholarship.
Most recently, Sharon won the 50th Anniversary John Curro National Youth Concerto Competition, performing Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63 with the Queensland Youth Symphony conducted by Artistic Director Simon Hewett, following her appearance as a recitalist in the 2024 competition. She also won first prize in the Young Artist Category of the 2025 Singapore International Music Competition and was a runner-up in the 2025 2MBS Young Virtuoso Award. She was a consecutive finalist in the 2024 and 2025 Sydney Eisteddfod Drs Orchestra Junior Scholarship.
In 2023, Sharon received first prize in Group C of the Polish Music Competition (PolMusicA) and was a finalist in the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition, performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Paul Terracini. She was also invited to perform at the 2023 AMEB Diploma Ceremony as an outstanding featured diplomate, having received her LMusA with distinction.
Sharon is an active participant in the Australian Chamber Orchestra Academy and Australian Youth Orchestra programs.