Monaco-based violinist Zhang Zhang, a former member of the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, will take the stage at Stars of Monaco this Friday for a charity concert in aid of the victims of Nepal’s catastrophic floods, with all of the money raised going directly to relief efforts on the ground. The evening, on 18th September at 7pm, is the latest humanitarian appeal from Zhangmusiq, the Monaco NGO Zhang founded to turn live music into practical support.
The concert answers a tragedy that has shaken even seasoned observers. On 26th August, part of a glacier collapsed high in the Himalayas near the Nepal-China border, triggering a landslide and a wall of water and debris that tore down the Trishuli River valley. More than 1,300 people have been confirmed dead and thousands remain missing, making it Nepal’s deadliest natural disaster since the 2015 earthquake; scientists have linked the glacier’s collapse to a warming climate.
For Zhang, the footage was almost too much to take in. “Today, we are used to seeing so many AI-generated clips that, at first, I thought the footage was fake,” she told Monaco Life. “But I quickly realised that it was real.”
The decision to act, she said, came almost immediately. Born out of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and formally established in 2007, ZhangMusiq has built its work around moments like this. “Zhangomusiq was created in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, so disaster relief is in our DNA,” she said.
Where the money goes
Every euro raised on the night will be sent to Nepal, in keeping with the NGO’s founding principle that 100% of funds reach the ground. The proceeds will be entrusted to the Himalayan Buddhist master His Eminence Kyabje Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche and his Nepal-based Universal Peace Sanctuary, to fund emergency medical care, shelter and food for survivors at their most vulnerable.
Zhang is keen that no contribution be seen as too small. “Sometimes the price of a nice cup of coffee or tea for us in Monaco can make a huge difference for someone somewhere in the world,” she said. It is a conviction rooted in her own childhood: born during China’s Cultural Revolution, she grew up sharing a nine-square-metre room with her family. “No help is too small,” she said.
Music as ‘the glue that keeps us connected’
On stage, Zhang will be joined by the jazz guitarist Leopoldo Giannola, her musical partner of some 25 years, for a programme that ranges freely from Bach to Bob Marley, taking in opera, film scores, French chansons, Chinese folk songs, tango and flamenco before the customary festive finale, when audiences are encouraged to sing and dance.
“Music is one of the few truly universal human expressions,” she said, describing it as “the glue that keeps us connected” in times of confusion and division — a way both to raise concrete support and to offer a shared moment of joy.
Beyond the immediate appeal, she hopes the evening also prompts reflection in Monaco on the mounting risks facing Himalayan communities as glaciers grow unstable. “We live in one of the most beautiful and safe places on the planet,” she said, “but climate change and environmental degradation affects all of us.”
How to attend or give
The concert takes place at Stars of Monaco, the reborn waterfront venue on Quai Antoine 1er, as part of the ‘Emergency Rescue Support for Nepal’ initiative. Those who cannot attend can donate directly through a QR code linked to the appeal.
“Come join us on Friday at Stars,” said Zhang. “Let’s create some joy together, while offering friendship and love to the people of Nepal.”