Amely Zhou

Artistic Director and Conductor

Amely Zhou is a dedicated and multifaceted musician, specializing in erhu and guzheng performance, adjudication, and conducting. She graduated from York University with a Specialized Honours B.A. in Music in 2014 and an M.A. in Ethnomusicology in 2023. Amely began studying conducting under Lisette Canton and Mark Chambers and has participated in conducting programs such as the University of Toronto Wind Conducting Symposium in 2016, UBC Wind Conducting Symposium in 2017, and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra Conducting Masterclass in 2018 and 2019.

From 2014 to 2016, Amely served as the conductor of the Toronto Chinese Youth Orchestra. From 2019 to 2020, she was Music Director of the Ontario Multicultural Music Association’s Mix Instruments Youth Orchestra, furthering her dedication to nurturing musical talent in diverse communities. Amely Zhou assumed the role of co-conductor of the NextGen Youth Orchestra at the Laurier Academy of Arts and Music from 2024-2025. In 2017, she assumed the role of Music Director for the Canadian Chinese Orchestra (CCO), leading the orchestra on tours in China and performing at prestigious venues such as the Markham Theatre, Sony Centre, and Mississauga Living Arts Centre. 

Amely’s adjudication experience includes serving as a judge for the 16th Chinese Arts and Literary Contest for Youth in 2016, the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival in 2017 and 2019, MusicFest Canada in 2023, and the Ottawa Kiwanis Music Festival in 2024. In 2025, Amely was invited to adjudicate the Dun Huang Cup Chinese instrumental competition. 

As a soloist, Amely has achieved significant recognition, including winning the concerto competition at York University where she performed “Red Plum Capriccio” with the York University Symphony Orchestra. She was also invited to perform with the Canadian Sinfonietta. Amely has performed numerous new works composed for her by international composers and has contributed to over twenty albums, helping to promote global appreciation for Chinese music. 

In 2020, Amely led a multi-ethnic ensemble called Estro-genesis, performing a series of Canadian works for the Toronto Music Garden’s summer music program. She also directed the Borderless Music project and produced a music documentary with the Small World Music Society, documenting the intersections of different musical cultures. She is a member of the Labyrinth Ensemble and has extensive experience collaborating with musicians from diverse backgrounds.

周嘉丽是一位多才多艺的音乐家，专长于二胡和古筝演奏、评审和指挥。她于2014年获得约克大学音乐专业荣誉学士学位，2023年获得民族音乐学硕士学位。周嘉丽开曾在利塞特·坎顿（Lisette Canton）和马克·钱伯斯（Mark Chambers）指导下学习，并参与了2016年多伦多大学管乐团指挥研讨会、2017年UBC管乐团指挥研讨会以及2018年和2019年香港中乐团指挥大师班。

2014至2016年间，周嘉丽担任多伦多青年乐团的指挥。2019至2020年，她担任安大略省多元文化音乐协会混合乐器青年乐团的音乐总监，进一步推动了在多元社区中培养音乐才俊的工作。2017年，她担任加拿大红枫华乐团乐团（CCO）的音乐总监，带领乐团在中国巡演，并在万锦剧院、索尼中心和密西沙加生活艺术中心等著名场馆演出。周嘉丽还是劳瑞尔艺术与音乐学院NextGen青年管弦乐团的指挥。

周嘉丽的评审经历包括担任2016年第16届青少年中国艺术与文学大赛评委、2017年和2019年多伦多Kiwanis音乐节评委、2023年加拿大音乐节评委，以及2024年渥太华Kiwanis音乐节评委。

作为独奏家，周嘉丽曾获得显著的认可，包括赢得约克大学协奏曲比赛，并与约克大学交响乐团合作演出《红梅幻想曲》。她还受邀与加拿大交响乐团合作演出。周嘉丽还演奏了许多国际作曲家为她创作的新作品，并参与了二十多张专辑的录制。

2020年，周嘉丽领导了一个名为Estro-genesis的多民族乐团，演奏了一系列加拿大作品，参与了多伦多音乐花园的夏季音乐项目。她还导演了无国界音乐项目，并与小世界音乐协会合作制作了一部音乐纪录片，记录了不同音乐文化的交汇。她还是Labyrinth乐团的成员，并拥有与多种背景音乐家合作的丰富经验。