Nature Walk, to the Sounds of OSM Strings ^{Summer 2025}

Richard Zheng is a violinist in the first violin section of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. A member of the OSM since 2023, he completed his studies at Carnegie Mellon University and the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. In 2019, he was awarded the AIDA Scholarship from the Jeunesses Musicales Canada (JMC) Foundation, and in 2020, he received the Violin Award from Carnegie Mellon University.

One of the factors that inspired Richard to pursue a career in music was… Tom & Jerry! At the age of six, he watched the episode Hollywood Bowl, which features the overture to Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss. The music and animation captivated him so much that he decided to learn the violin!

Associate principal cellist of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal since 2011, Anna Burden has performed throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad as a soloist, chamber player, and orchestral musician. Solo appearances include performances with the Peninsula Music Festival Orchestra, the Washington Chamber Symphony, the Juilliard Orchestra, the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, the Oak Park Symphony Orchestra, and with musicians of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. A native of Chicago, Anna Burden studied with Hans Jensen, Joel Krosnick, Alan Stepansky, Richard Aaron, Darrett Adkins, and Nell Novak. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University, a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School, and a Professional Studies diploma from the Manhattan School of Music. She plays a cello made in 1929 by Carl Becker of Chicago.