How Young Friends Found Young Love: Kelly Zhou and Her Relationship with The Philadelphia Orchestra

When Kelly Zhou was in college, she decided to delve into her passion for classical music by taking advantage of our  Young Friends program — a free membership for people ages 21 to 40 offered by The Philadelphia Orchestra. Through Young Friends, Kelly not only discovered a vibrant community of classical music enthusiasts, but also met her future husband, Brett. The Philadelphia Orchestra became such an essential part of their love story that Kelly’s husband planned a surprise marriage proposal at the Academy of Music. Music has been a cornerstone of their life together, and now they are fostering a new generation of music lovers by bringing their daughter to Young Friends events. 

Read on to discover how classical music has shaped every chapter of Kelly’s life. 

Please introduce yourself.  

My name is Kelly Zhou. I was born in China, grew up in Japan, and moved to the Philly area in elementary school. I’ve always been fascinated by music — one of the first things that I ever begged my mom for was a Yamaha recorder (duct flute) in the first grade. Some dozen or so instruments later (none of which I would consider myself competent at), that passion expanded to include classical music and opera. 

What was the first Philadelphia Orchestra concert that you attended? 

I attended the Free College Night in 2010 during my freshman year at UPenn and made an evening out of the outing with three friends. We were wowed by the turnout and we even got to meet Joshua Bell after the performance! 

What is the most memorable Philadelphia Orchestra concert that you've seen? 

The Orchestra's rendition of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Hilary Hahn lingers in my mind as one of those rare moments where you could feel a collective hush fall over the hall as everyone listened with bated breath, afraid to miss a single note. That performance was so remarkable, not only for the artistry, but also in the audience’s palpable excitement.  

Why should someone come see The Philadelphia Orchestra? 

The no-brainer answer would be: “to experience one of the very best orchestras in the world today.”  

Beyond that, attending a Philadelphia Orchestra performance really feels like coming home to family. Outside of being at the top of their game, the humans behind the instruments and baton are so warm, down to earth, and even funny (as evidenced by those pre-show announcements)! To me, this orchestra really pays homage to the fact that we are Philadelphians and humans first and foremost. It really is such a welcoming community, and I believe that’s certainly part of The Philadelphia Orchestra charm that you can see even onstage and keeps people coming back. 

How have the performing arts positively influenced your life? 

I played the trumpet growing up and continued to perform through college with various musical groups. The sense of community has been so profound — I still remember sweltering backstage with my friends before our midsummer performance at the Mann Center, the warmth of the Italian locals who came out to watch a plaza performance by our very amateur jazz band that had no business touring Italy, and the giddiness that preceded walking out onto the Marian Anderson Hall stage for the very first time. Even as I’ve given up on the performance side of “performing arts,” I’ve joined a new community of arts lovers.