A highly sought-after violinist and educator in Singapore, Christina Zhou is the Founder of 12Petals, a global and multi-disciplinary mentorship program. Acclaimed by The Straits Times for displaying “a full rein of her virtuoso abilities” and “a testament to true musicianship and fortitude,” Christina blends artistic excellence with a deep commitment to education.
At the age of 20, Christina earned a Bachelor’s Degree with Distinction Honors, where she studied under the late Zvi Zeitlin at the Eastman School of Music in the U.S. She then went on to complete her Graduate Diploma under Zuo Jun at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory in Singapore. Her previous teachers in her early years included Philip Tng, Sui Yue Long and Zhang Zhen Shan. Her accolades include First Prize in Eastman’s Concerto Competition and Third Prize in Singapore’s National Violin Competition (Junior Category).
Christina's performance career spans solo, chamber music, orchestral collaborations, and experimental ensembles. She has worked closely with renowned conductors and artists across the U.S. and Singapore and has been awarded full scholarships to attend prestigious festivals such as Music Academy of the West, the Texas Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and Creative Strings Workshop.
She was a founding member of the Sophron Quartet (2014–2016), and served as violinist (2012–2018) and Assistant Music Director (2014–2018) of the fusion band TO ensemble, which performed original music internationally and contributed to commercial recordings, including for Toyota. Christina has recorded with OSSIA Ensemble (New World Records) and performed with SETTS Ensemble in contemporary music settings.
In Singapore, Christina freelances in the Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, Orchestra for the Music Makers (OMM), re:Sound Collective among others. As a soloist, she has performed in Singapore Symphony Orchestra’s Organ Series, with ADDO Chamber Orchestra, and on tour with the PSPA International Ensemble in Malaysia. A versatile sessionist, she also plays in pop, jazz, film, and commercial projects. She is the founding member of The Y String Quartet 四琴化一, performing in school shows, outreach programmes, corporate and private events.
Christina's love and foray into musical theatre began in 2023, when she served as the sole violinist in a 9-piece band for Pangdemonium!’s critically acclaimed production of Into the Woods, which ran for 19 sold-out performances. She also appeared in Dream Academy’s Crazy Christmas: Ball of the Belles. Christina is also a sessionist for award-winning composer Ricky Ho, contributing to movie soundtracks and demos.
A passionate educator, Christina is currently the Principal and Director of Coronation Music School. She leads a team of 13 instrumental and vocal teachers, overseeing all facets of school operations. Her pedagogy emphasizes growth mindset, Socratic questioning, and first-principles thinking. She views music learning as a transformative tool for cognitive development and lifelong enrichment, guiding learners from childhood discovery to adult inspiration.
"My goal as a teacher/mentor is to ensure that my students not only enjoy their music learning process, but to be aware and able to apply the skills, mental process of learning music to other aspects of their lives as well. Learning, appreciating and sharing music has the power to shape one's cognitive abilities and character that will benefit anyone at any stage in life - be it a child simply having fun learning and discovering music or a working adult seeking a new hobby or new inspiration. "
She is an alumnus of altMBA, Seth Godin’s global leadership program for change-makers, and has served as mentor and speaker for the Singapore National Youth Sinfonia, OMM Camp, NAFA Career Forum, and the Southeast Asia Music Academy Online Teachers’ Conference. She is a recurring external examiner at NAFA.
Christina is also a certified Wolf Trap Teaching Artist (under SRT), specializing in professional development for early childhood educators. She partners with classroom teachers and teaches children’s learning and curricular goals through customized, active performing arts-integrated strategies tailored to each classroom's unique needs.
Christina owns and actively plays two remarkable violins. Closest to her heart is a 2007 John Young copy of the 1734 Guarneri del Gesù “du Diable”—a deeply personal violin originally commissioned and played by her late mentor, Zvi Zeitlin. She also plays on Nikolay Stasov’s 1998 “Opera,” an internationally acclaimed instrument lauded for its superior sound and crafted by the winner of the violin-making competition held within the P.I. Tchaikovsky framework.