Hot young violinist, 17, opts for career in finance
OrchestrasThe UK-Chinese violinist Leia Zhu has attracted much attention in her short life. The ambitious virtuoso has been showcased by the HarrisonParrott artists agency, played in 17 countries and written an autobiography.
This morning, she has notified us of a significant career change.
Dear Friends,
I am reaching out today with a story that marks a significant milestone in my life: I am now a qualified Financial Adviser!
To many, this may seem like an unexpected leap from being a globe-trotting soloist to delving into the world of finance. However, this transition is not a change of tune, but rather a harmonious blend of my lifelong passion.
Since childhood, I’ve been captivated by the intricacies of finance, mirroring the complex melodies in music. The pandemic, with its shuttered venues and silenced stages, brought a moment of introspection and struck a dissonant chord in my life. It led me to ponder how one can navigate financial uncertainties, especially in the artistic domain where income is often irregular. This curiosity led me on a journey of discovery.
Last year, at the age of 16, when I became legally eligible, I enrolled in a course at the esteemed London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), an institution with a legacy of over 140 years in educating financial professionals. This step allowed me to delve deep into financial studies.
Amidst my GCSEs, I started pursuing the Level 4 Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA). It was a challenging yet fulfilling year, balancing finance and music, merging fiscal scales and taxes with musical performances and investments.
Achieving this qualification, in line with industry standards and FCA requirements, marks my first steps into the world of personal finance and wealth management…
As I approach my 18th birthday in October 2024, I realise that direct client advisory roles may not be immediately available to me. However, my commitment to gaining knowledge and acquiring expertise in this field remains strong. In the meantime, I plan to apply my growing understanding to engage the general public, especially musicians, in a manner that’s both fun and educational.
I aim to assist people who might not initially be interested in learning the seemingly boring principles of finance, but who need a bit of guidance to understand their personal financial circumstances. Topics like how to budget effectively, save money, differentiate between good and bad debts, invest wisely regardless of the amount, and protect oneself during economic downturns are crucial. If you know someone or organisations that have such needs, I would be delighted to offer presentations on these topics.
My goal is to make financial literacy accessible and engaging, helping to demystify these important concepts for those who might otherwise overlook them. Through this effort, I hope to empower others with the knowledge they need to make informed financial decisions.
Looking back last year, I achieved all A*s in the 8 subjects I took for GCSEs, I finished the Level 4 Diploma for Financial Adviser Qualification, I published my first book “Bows, Strings and Dreams” achieved No.1 position in the Bestseller list for Teen & Young Adult Classical Music on Amazon USA and secured second place in the bestSeller list for Classical Music Books among Young Adults on Amazon UK as well as No 2 in Classical Music Books for Young Adults on Amazon Australia. All those were on top of my busy travel schedule for music commitments. It was not a bad year for a 16-year-old!
This year is brimming with musical ventures. I’m thrilled to share my debut performances in Armenia, Poland, and Ireland, along with a week-long residency in Abu Dhabi, return engagements in Spain and Switzerland, concerts on the home turf, and a tour in Italy. A highly anticipated debut awaits, details of which I hope to share soon.
Living my dream life, journeying through over 20 countries, and delving into diverse cultures has blessed me with invaluable life skills, including discipline, clarity, time management, rapport building, and effective communication. Witnessing firsthand the power of music to elevate people’s spirits, change people’s life and now integrating this with my knowledge in personal finance, I aspire to make a meaningful contribution to society. My aim is to promote financial sustainability and empowerment through music, hoping to inspire and assist fellow musicians and others in achieving similar goals.
Thank you for tuning into my journey and for being a part of this symphonic blend of life and career!
With gratitude and anticipation,
Leia x
You really couldn’t make it up. Let’s hope H-P are not feeling too disappointed.
So, a “proper job” for Leia!
Rare example of being honest with yourself. Most of commentators here still prefer just to write their 3-4 daily sarcastic comments instead of devoting themselves to something like finance or at least donating slippedisc… 😀
Fair enough – a very sensible career move. She’s clearly bright and will, by now, have seen enough to know what role she wants music to play in her adult life. She’s also honest enough to admit that there is pleasure and fulfilment to be had in other pursuits. We should wish her well.
And it’s not even April 1. Smart lady :))
Strong Move! Because music is free.
Dear Norman,
I learned about your article discussing my personal development, and I felt compelled to provide some clarification for your readers (among whom I count myself, not regularly but from time to time). Contrary to what might have been implied, I am not shifting my career focus; instead, I’m simply expanding my horizons by adding add another string to bow.
The information you referenced was from a private mailing list intended for my supporters, friends and followers, and I have just checked the list again, your name was not there. It was crafted to update them my personal development and growth, at no point, that indicate that I am moving away from my roots in classical music. In fact, if you look at my current season’s engagements, you’ll see they are quite robust and indicative of my ongoing commitment to this field.
Regarding your mention of HP, my agent, I’d like to clear up any misunderstandings. They are not disappointed with my personal growth. Quite the opposite, they have been incredibly supportive and proud of my willingness to explore new interests while maintaining my dedication to classical music.
As you referenced, I have successfully completed a challenging professional qualification during my rigorous GCSE year, achieving the highest standards that any 16-year-old school aged teenage could aspire to. This was accomplished alongside my flourishing music career. I encourage you to review my engagements from the last season. My intellectual and creative pursuits are fuelled by an abundance of brain power, which keeps my curious mind consistently engaged and interested.
Indeed, as you noted, writing is a deep passion of mine. This passion led me to author and publish my first book last year. I recognise the intricacies of journalism – the art of weaving words with meaning to captivate an audience. It’s a skill you’ve mastered and one I greatly admire.
I hope this clarifies any confusion and gives a more accurate picture of my professional journey. And thank you very much for your interest and following.
Warm regards,
Leia
Guess whom that single downvote is from!
To which my only question is the same as in the case of “your” book.
Which of your manager-parents wrote this tripe?
How about Leia’s parents taking her GCSE exams and the finance exams and learning and performing impressive repertoires in over 20 countries? Even Juicier may have hired a double for other achievements Leia claims as her own.
Brava! Best wishes for your new horizons.
Leia, are you ok? Wink once if you’re being controlled.
“My intellectual and creative pursuits are fuelled by an abundance of brain power…”
I’d be more impressed if your personal growth included humility.
All the upticks and sycophantic responses go some way to explaining why the classical music industry has always been beholden to the prodigy phenomena.
Perhaps her choice of words doesn’t resonate with you, and that’s a matter of personal taste.
I’d be more impressed if you exhibit some human decency – recognise and celebrate the accomplishment at hand, instead of dwelling on trivial disagreements.
All her communication is produced by AI, most probably. The style is quite typical.
Looks like she’s aiming to blend the two rather than change direction. Soloists spend a lot of time travelling, in hotels etc, so many find lots of time for other things (writing books etc).
Nowhere does she say that she’s giving up performing; in fact she lists her upcoming concerts and teases a secret debut. This sounds to me like a supplementary hobby, not a career change.
I didn’t see anywhere here that she plans to give up the violin; in fact her signoff suggests she’ll be doing both. She’s obviously a very intelligent young lady and is developing a skill/credential that will serve her well no matter what she does in the future. And if she becomes a high-earning soloist, understanding her own finances makes a lot of sense.
Correct. All of that info was in the letter that he posted, so he either does not read well or deliberately twists the facts for his headline Sad, but there it is. The gracious thing to do now would be to apologise to the lady.
There are no such thing as A* grades in GCSE exams, at least in England. The grades are numbers, with 9 being the highest possible. I hope this young woman is simply trying to explain her results in a way she thinks more people are likely to understand. I place a high value on precise information, and I would want that from a financial adviser whenever possible. Best not to dumb down your explanations until you’re sure somebody didn’t understand the more precise one.
Dear Symphony Musician,
Thank you for your feedback on my GCSE results.
For further verification, you can find my educational background on my Wikipedia page, including the school I attended. I grant you permission to contact my school’s office for any necessary confirmation. The GCSE exam report I’m holding indicates an ‘A*’ grade for all the 8 subjects I took.
Please feel free to verify the accuracy of my claims.
Best regards,
Leia
Children should not be allowed to comment or reply to comments on websites.
Dear child, please let your agent take care of all this.
I wouldn’t describe 17-year olds as a children, and I would certainly not forbid them to comment on stories about themselves. Leia’s response is perfectly reasonable.
I agree, adults can attack THE CHILD as they please.
People who act like children should also not be allowed to comment or reply to comments on websites.
For goodness sake, have none of you any shame? Ridiculing a 17-year-old for her achievements?
She took IGCSE not the harder ones kids at state schools have to take. Bet she had coursework and could take her literature texts into the exam. Basically IGCSEs are a private school fiddle and easier.
This is clearly coming from someone who hasn’t been in the system. iGCSEs are significantly harder than normal GCSEs. The content and the grade boundaries are also much higher in comparison.
GCSE scores were recently revamped:
https://www.bbc.com/news/education-48993830
I hope this Symphony Musician is simply trying to understand results which recently changed!
Best not to write uninformed and rude comments until you’re sure you’ve done 10 seconds of Googling yourself.
Spoiler alert: A* = 9
Not right.
A* is a grade 8
A** is a grade 9
and for completeness grade A =7.
Remember she did not take the same exams as the majority of 16 years olds in England.
Wishing Leia a successful career in finance. Who knows she may be able to buy herself a Stradivarius before too long.
Her parents must be devastated – throwing her life away like that……
What a surprise. Kid forced to do something turns out to not give a monkeys.
And do people really believe she wrote this statement? The whole thing smacks of parents putting tremendous pressure on a child. I expect it will get very messy eventually.
It doesn’t mean she can’t just because you couldn’t
Perhaps 360 management deals have now extended to finance since there is no real money to be made in classical music.
Brava Leia! Helping musician colleagues to have understanding of financials in their lives is a noble gesture and much needed internationally. If some of them knew how to bridge the irregularity of income, it would make a real difference to their lives and careers. I hope she is able to be successful in this venture and enjoy her own career as she deserves. Thanks for your thoughtfulness.
Obviously her parents have written this letter and reply,.,,a very pushy father so I hear from various people/places.
How about Leia’s parents taking her GCSE exams and the finance exams and learning and performing impressive repertoires in over 20 countries? Even Juicier may have hired a double for other achievements Leia claims as her own.
On the contrary, the letter is obviously written by a teen girl – trying just a little too hard. I hope her literary style will settle down and simplify as she matures.
Adult envy of a gifted child is an ugly thing.
I think it is probably written by her and agree on the trying a little too hard. But it’s more than writing style. It’s a lack of humility, arrogance, pomposity and overrating of her achievements, albeit considerable. I feel a little sorry for her actually and don’t think she has been prepared very well for adulthood and the big wild world by parents, and possibility management, if this tone really reflects her thinking. Actually comes across as very insecure and needing attention rather than confident in her abilities. The lion doesn’t need to go around telling every it is a lion.
And why wouldn’t she be proud of her achievements?
When somebody is not proud of their achievements, they are labelled as insecure, and when somebody is proud of their achievements, they are labelled as having excessive pride.
If you have similar achievements, let alone at her age, I would love to hear about them too.
This is a very inspiring story that demonstrates a remarkable degree of intelligence and wisdom. As a professional musician myself, I cannot overemphasize the importance, in today’s world, of acquiring non-musical skills that may provide both an alternative career to music, as well as an alternative income stream. Many musicians are one-dimensional — besides music, most of them have developed no other skills, which is understandable when one takes into account the kind of focus and dedication it takes to develop a career as a professional musician. Though this may have worked in the past, it is no longer a reliable model, and it can become a real problem when one reaches middle-age, when the acquisition of other skills becomes much more difficult, especially as one lacks the time and mental energy to “go back to school,” so to speak, in the midst of ever-increasing requirements and obligations. Orchestra musicians thus often find themselves at the mercy of ruthless managements which seek relentlessly to cut costs to a bare minimum. As to becoming a soloist, in today’s world it is likely to be fraught with many obstacles — some of which completely subjective, unpredictable, and having no necessary relationship with actual talent, not to mention the toll on one’s personal life and balance. There are many unknown brilliant players who could fill in any day for any soloist enjoying today a worldwide reputation and who are unfortunately likely to remain anonymous. The field is simply oversaturated — many players who 50 years ago might have been household names now find themselves routinely in orchestra positions. This doesn’t mean one should not pursue one’s musical ambitions, but it does mean one needs to have an accurate and realistic picture of what it means to be a musician nowadays. A double career in both music and finance will protect against the insecurity of having merely one single career option and may even help a musical career, as it will provide the financial freedom to be able to make choices that are congruent with one’s true musical interests — for instance, avoid having to embark on an orchestral career merely to make a living. I applaud Ms. Zhu for her foresight.
She probably made the right choice. The world values financiers above artists: why else would it pay them so much?
A career in finance…that’s another string to her bow…
Wahey!
A teen-age financial whiz.
Isn’t that how most of the recent financial disaster stories start?
Congratulations to Leia! She is a fantastic musician and is clearly wonderfully talented in many aspects, and I am sorry she has to deal with these awfully jealous and toxic people. Wishing her the best success in the future!
She could help musicians/artists learn financial literacy! It would be a wonderful thing. I see a whole series of podcasts, webinars etc that she could deliver targeted to this group. Brava!
Goodness me, a lot of you folks are quite simply awful but I’m afraid Lebrecht has much to answer for here (I’m utterly gobsmacked that even you would sink so low as to challenge her relationship with her agent, a very low blow!).
Here is a child embarking on a career, making pragmatic decisions to use all of her skills and, heaven forfend, exercising her right to develop herself into a rounded individual with multiple skills. Which of us musicians wouldn’t wish for a little more financial literacy? I know I certainly could have done with it when I was 17.
Leia, the artist needs to learn fairly early on that engaging in public commentary on themselves is best left to your management team. If they won’t touch it neither should you.
It’s a good decision to pursue the other options in your career at a younger age as many musicians feel unsatisfied in their later years.
The entire letter as well as the responses were written using AI (probably ChatGPT). This is not a good way of communicating and connecting with supporters, friends and followers or broader audiences as it’s not authentic and sincere and as such, the content and the message are not convincing and genuine.
It’s probable that both this initiative and the communications are led by your parents. While it’s understandable, the way it’s handled and communicated is questionable.
You’re obviously a very gifted, smart and ambitious young lady. There’s a long and exciting journey ahead of you. No matter what find and follow your “own” dreams and always speak for yourself with your “own” words.