Biography

Awarded as the recent Winner and Audience Prize of the 2023 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York, ArcoStrum consists of three-times international First Prize-winning violinist Strauss Shi, and the Grand Prize winner of Guitar Foundation of America - International Concert Artist Competition (GFA-ICAC), TY Zhang.

Highlights of their 2022-2023 Season include major debuts at the Omni Foundation for the Performing Arts, Festival Cultural Zacatecas (Mexico), National Sawdust, Austin Chamber Music Festival, and Caramoor.

ArcoStrum captures the hearts of audiences through their charisma, virtuosity, and dazzling on-stage chemistry. The multi-instrumental duo champions unique concert programming through their original transcriptions of beloved classical repertoire, traditional Chinese instrumental music infused with modern instrumentations, as well as virtuosic non-classical instrumental progressive rock.

Initially encountered at The Juilliard School, the two soon discovered unspoken chemistry not only in life but in music making. ArcoStrum is pushing boundaries and redefining the 21st century violin-guitar art form, presenting a new chamber music that is mixed-genre, multi-culture, and cross-era.

Upcoming Events

Concerts

Carnegie Hall: Citywide Series

Queens, NY

Rancho La Puerta

 —  —

Tecate, Baja California

Concerts by the Pond

Cold Spring Harbor, NY

Madison-Morgan Cultural Center

Madison, GA

Scarlatti to Polyphia "Playing God" (arr. Zhang/Shi)
2023 Concert Artists Guild Finals
Violin and Electric Guitar

Ink Orchid Pavilion 水墨兰亭 (arr. Zhang/Shi) 
2023 Concert Artists Guild Finals
Dizi/Erhu and Electric Guitar

Horse Racing 赛马 (arr. Zhang/Shi)
2023 Concert Artists Guild Finals
Erhu and Classical Guitar

Piazzolla: Nightclub 1960 (arr. Zhang/Shi)
2023 Concert Artists Guild Finals
Violin and Classical Guitar

Press

From their San Francisco Debut

TY Zhang and Strauss Shi individually represent the highest level of technical excellence and musicianship among the new generation of performing artists. Together they have created a first rate ensemble with the ArcoStrum. Their concert here in San Francisco was at times moving, at times brilliant, and at times thrilling, but always compelling!”

— Richard Patterson, Founder and Director, Omni Foundation for the Performing Arts

From their Austin Debut

ArcoStrum = Joy. TY and Strauss are outrageously talented musicians who know how to have fun and take audiences along for an adventure.”

— Joe Williams, Artistic Director, Austin Classical Guitar

Our Mission

On stage, we are ArcoStrum. But offstage, we are two lifelong brothers that treasure the destiny of our unspoken chemistry, unbridled creativity, and the timeless art of profound music. Our duo is founded on our eagerness and mission to redefine the 21st century violin-guitar art form through our self-produced, original transcriptions of well-known works, never-before-heard arrangements, and our unique blend of our Chinese-Western instrumentations.

Media

Vivadi Four Seasons: Winter (L'Inverno)

Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata K. 141 (arr. TY & Strauss)

Horacio Fernández: Suite Latino-Americana (2020) II. João Gilberto

Manuel de Falla: Danza Ritual del Fuego (arr. David Galvez)

Manuel de Falla/Kreisler: La Vida Breve (arr. TY & Strauss)

Zequinha de Abreu: Tico-Tico

Massenet: Méditation from Thaïs

Piazzolla: History of Tango - Bordell 1900

Piazzolla: History of Tango - Café 1930

Piazzolla: History of Tango - Nightclub 1960

Piazzolla: History of Tango - Concert d'aujord'hui

Contact

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