Dong Zhou (no pronouns) is a composer-performer based in Hamburg. Zhou’s artistic practice combines music, performance, and media technology. The works center on the narratives of technology and the transformation of personal experiences into performative expression. Through the solo project Congee Rats, Zhou uses electronic music as a starting point for radical boundary-crossing and creates a dense, emotional universe: introspective, dark, and socially critical.
Zhou studied music design at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, multimedia composition at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater, and ICAM at Leuphana University. Zhou got commissions including the Shanghai International Art Festival and the ZKM Karlsruhe. Zhou has received awards such as the First Prize of ICMC Hacker-N-Makerthon and the Nota-n-Ear Awards. In 2019, Zhou was a finalist in the German Music Competition, and in 2025, was shortlisted for the Giga-Hertz Pop Experimental Production Award. In 2026, Zhou’s projects are supported by Musikfonds and Initiative Musik.
As a PhD in culture and aesthetics of digital media, Zhou’s research investigates the intersections of media theory, sound studies, and composition. In addition, Zhou is developing a social business concept for an inclusive wellness space for neurodivergent people.
