Zlatomir Fung - Biography

The first American in four decades and youngest musician ever to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition Cello Division, Zlatomir Fung is poised to become one of the preeminent cellists of our time. A recipient of the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship 2022 and a 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Fung’s impeccable technique demonstrates a mastery of the canon and an exceptional insight into the depths of contemporary repertoire. A winner of the 2017 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2017 Astral National Auditions, Fung has taken the top prizes at numerous competitions and was selected as a 2016 US Presidential Scholar for the Arts.

Recent summer festival appearances include Aspen Music Festival, Bravo! Vail with the New York Philharmonic and Leonard Slatkin, La Jolla Chamber Music Society, and Verbier. As a soloist, Fung has appeared with the BBC Philharmonic, Detroit, Kansas City, Seattle, and Asheville Symphonies, among many others. Past recital highlights include his Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall debut. Upcoming engagements include a recital debut at Wigmore Hall, debuts with the Dallas, Milwaukee and Rochester Symphonies, and recital tours in the US and Europe.

Of Bulgarian-Chinese heritage, Zlatomir Fung began playing cello at age three and earned fellowships at Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Heifetz International Music Institute, MusicAlp, and the Aspen Music Festival and School. Fung studied at The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Richard Aaron and Timothy Eddy. Fung has been featured on NPR’s Performance Today and has appeared on From the Top six times.

Becoming a part of the BBT family has been a tremendous honor and joy. I feel deeply grateful for the team’s work in helping me realize the artistic projects that I find meaningful, and for providing deep expertise and advice regarding career-building in an ever-changing world.

Photographs by I-Jung Huang