Jing Zhao is a Beijing-born cellist who won first prize at the ARD International Competition in Munich in 2005 and the Exxon Mobil Music Award in Japan in 2009. She trained at the Karajan Academy of the Berliner Philharmoniker and with Prof. David Geringas at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin, and studied privately with Yo-Yo Ma and Mstislav Rostropovich. Conductor Seiji Ozawa chose her as soloist for the opening gala of the China National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing, alongside Vadim Repin, Lang Lang and Kathleen Battle. She is co-artistic director of the Pietrasanta in Concerto festival in Italy and plays a 1711 Matteo Goffriller cello.
A review in Rolling Stone India from September 9, 2025 praised the performance of Jing Zhao and pianist Julien Quentin, who performed sonatas by Debussy and Shostakovich.
In August 2025, Jing Zhao performed at the Seiji Ozawa Matsumoto Festival in Japan.
In July 2025, Jing Zhao participated in the Pietrasanta in Concerto festival in Italy, where she serves as co-artistic director.
At the turn of June and July 2025, Jing Zhao performed at the Martha Argerich Festival in Hamburg.
In 2019, Jing Zhao released two albums with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: a Russian album featuring Shostakovich's cello concerto and a Chinese album featuring two cello concertos by Tan Dun conducted by the composer.
