Line up：

Daniel Chu – Keys
Teriver Cheung – Guitar
Daniel Kwong – Bass
Benjamin Tu – Drums

 

Zhu Zhaojie is a pianist, composer, arranger, record producer, music director, and scholar born in Hong Kong. Zhu graduated from the Berklee College of Music with the highest honors at the age of only 20, earning a Bachelor of Music degree. During his studies in Boston, he was taught by renowned jazz pianists George Russell Jr., Tim Ray, Kenny Werner, as well as veteran songwriters Sarah Brindell, Jimmy Kachulis, and Pat Pattison. Has won numerous awards during the semester, including the Berkeley Achievement Scholarship and the Berkeley Sparkling Star Award.

 

In 2024, Zhu completed a Master's degree in Music Philosophy at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, specializing in Ethnomusicology. During his research, he studied with ethnic musicologists such as Professor Liu Changjiang and Professor Yu Shaohua. His thesis title is "Exploring the Hong Kong Jazz Circle: History, Current Situation, and Characters." This groundbreaking paper mainly explores the important history, contemporary development, and character connections of the Hong Kong jazz circle. Professor Adam Kielman praised the paper as "a significant achievement that makes important contributions to jazz research and the Hong Kong jazz community itself.

 

Zhu has collaborated with various artists and musicians based on her exceptional musical talent. He is skilled in creating, arranging, producing, and playing popular music, and has collaborated with well-known singers such as Sammi Cheng, Wei Lan, Wei Shi, Liying @ Xiaoshuqie, Kiri T. In 2018, he co founded the electronic acoustic music trio "manvsmachine" with sound designer Hirsk and drummer Blue Kwok, and performed at music venues in Europe and Asia. In 2019, he was invited to improvise for painter Makoto Fujimura at the "Song of Songs" exhibition in Taiwan.

 

In 2021, Zhu presented his original work "Yuexi" on the black box stage of Free Space, which was performed by him and nine string musicians. In the same year, he held a piano solo concert called "Extremes" at the Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall. In 2022, he will serve as the music director for the "Lin Jiaqian x Similar Friends MOOV Digital Concert". In 2023, he will serve as the music director for "HKT West Kowloon Music Festival: Colorful Fireworks by Leslie Cheung", paying tribute to the 20th anniversary of the passing of Hong Kong legend Leslie Cheung. Furthermore, he also serves as the guest curator of the Free Jazz Festival, hosting a dialogue series called "Jazz Talk", inviting renowned musicians from classical, pop, and musical backgrounds to share their views on jazz and improvisation.

 

The characteristic of Zhu's musical art lies in collaboration, encompassing diverse world cultures, musical traditions, and performance techniques. He has rich experience in free improvisation and has received formal music training, with works spanning different music genres such as classical, jazz, pop, soul, gospel, folk, and experimental.