Zizai Ning was born in Shanghai, China. In 2002, she was offered a full scholarship to attend the Shanghai middle school, an affiliation of the Shanghai Conservatory, where she studied with Professor Meijuan Liu, a renowned cello educator in China. Soon after, she was awarded top honors in China's National Cello Competition. In 2007, Ms.Ning received a full scholarship, including a Conservatory Dean's Talent Scholarship, to study at Oberlin College on Cello as well as Viola da Gamba and Baroque cello with Catharina Meints.
 
            In fall 2012, Ms.Ning entered Indiana University Jacobs school of Music under tutelage of Professor Eric Kim and Brandon Vamos. In various master classes, Ms.Ning has performed for such artists as Steven Isserlis, Marcy Rosen, Desmond Hoebig, Yo-Yo Ma and Noah Bendix-Balgley.