Mr. Shu Zhang is a renowned state-ranking actor at the Beijing Opera Theater of Beijing, and he is also a member of China's Dramatists Association and Beijing City's Dramatists Association. Born in a family of Peking opera artists, he took lessons in Peking opera from his father since his childhood. At age 18 he became a student of Mr. Changli Ma, a preeminent Peking opera-performing artist, who thoroughly schooled him in the art of Ma school of Peking opera. As one of Mr. Ma's favorite students, Shu Zhang is a youth but high-achieving - he started Beijing Huaxia Art School under China's Dramatists Association, which has turned out a large number of artistic talents.

With an impressive stage presentation and a mellow voice, Mr. Shu Zhang is exceptionally skillful in varying his breathing, pitch and vocal tonality for artistic expression. His performing and singing are measured and smooth, and his vocal expression is refreshing, minute and elegant. Shu Zhang is very adept at assuming the personae of stage characters. He makes effort to fully understand the roles he plays and is good at expressing the spirit and lofty quality of each character through his eyes, which, coupled with his skills in singing and acting, brings the character alive on stage. He is indeed one of the geniuses in theatrical performance in the world.

With profound accomplishments in Peking opera, Mr. Shu Zhang has incorporated the operatic styles of different schools such as Yu, Yang and Ma and is capable of thoroughly presenting modern and classical characters alike. Mr. Zhang is a versatile actor; he is not only expert at playing Xu-Shen roles but excels at playing other roles as well. He has won critical acclaim for his animate performance in spirit and in form as well as his vivid presentation of different roles. He has visited many countries in actors of Peking opera at home and abroad.

In the course of his artistic career, Shu Zhang has modestly sought the counsel of senior performing artists and has received instruction from Mingsheng Li, Qingyu Liang, Yuanshou Tan, Chongshan Li, Zhixiao Feng, among others. He has carried on a long-standing collaboration with famous actors such as Yaping Xue, Shulei Yang Guixiang Yan, Jinglan Guan, Rongrong Wang, Ping Zhang, Cuina Dong, Baoxiu Zhao, Shufang Wang, Changchun Li, Xuejin Zhang, Zhixiao Feng and Chongshan Li. His repertoire includes Silang Visits His Mother, The Dragon Palace, The Red-Mane Steed, Shikongzhan, Wu Zixu, Orphan of Zhao Family, Ganlu Temple, Match-Making for the No. 1 Scholar, The Capture and Release of Cao, Sanjia Shop, Generals of the Yang House, etc. Shu Zhang has also collaborated on the long-standing basis with Mr. Rongxiang Fang, a preeminent, late Peking opera performing artist, and the audiotape of Yaoqi in its entirety he made in collaboration with Mr. Fang was a national best seller.

Mr. Shu Zhang is currently collaborating with Mr. Chengzong Yin in performing modern Peking opera pieces, and his Story of a Red Lantern, a vocal accompaniment in piano, caused a sensation. At the invitation of Ms. Shufang Qi, a Peking opera performing artist, he is to play the role of Xu Xian in Legend of a White Snake, which will bring his vocal prowess as a Xiao-Shen to full display. Peking opera buffs in New York will have an opportunity to enjoy his performance.

Mr. Shu Zhang currently serves as a performing and vocal instructor at Philadelphia Peking Opera Center and NYJPW Chinese Arts and Culture Association, Inc. where he teaches Peking opera fans. On April 8 this year he directed five Peking opera highlights in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the founding of NYJPW. In a gesture to show NYJPW's support for Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, he counseled the President of NYJPW, Cheng-Hua Wang in the co-production with Beijing Opera Theatre of Beijing of Ultimate Sacrifice on July 14 at Beijing Li Yuan Theater, which won critical acclaim. His painstaking effort in promoting Peking opera overseas and international cultural exchange has set a good example in the artistic community. Shu Zhang has often been invited to perform Peking opera masterpieces across the United States, and he is widely viewed at as one of the most popular and most talented young Peking opera performing artists in the United States. In recognition of his contribution to Peking opera overseas, NYJPW conferred on him the Award for Outstanding Young Peking Opera Performing Artist in the World on July 13, and it has crafted a home page on his artistic achievement posted on NYJPW web site. NYJPW takes pride in having Shu Zhang as a mentor.