Long Yu

"Long Yu, China's Herbert von Karajan, (is) the most powerful figure in China's classical music scene." - The New York Times

As one of the most distinguished Chinese conductors with an established international reputation, Maestro Long Yu is currently Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, Music Director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, President of the Beijing Music Festival Artistic Committee and President of the Artistic Committee of the Shanghai Oriental Center.

Besides his concerts throughout the year with the China Philharmonic and the Guangzhou Symphony, Long Yu has appeared with the world's major orchestras and opera companies, including the Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington DC, the Hamburg State Opera, the Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Leipzig, the Budapest Radio Symphony Orchestra, Le Theatre de Nice, the Ireland National Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tokyo Philharmonic, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

Long Yu was born in Shanghai in 1964 into a family of musicians. He received his early music education from his grandfather Ding Shande, a celebrated composer and an educator of high prestige. This prepared him for the rigorous formal music education he subsequently received first at the Shanghai Music Conservatory and then at the Hochschule der Kunst in Berlin. In 1992, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Central Opera Theatre in Beijing. In the same year, he was involved in organizing the inaugural Beijing New Year's Concert, now an annual event, and served as its conductor for three successive years. In 1998, he founded the Beijing Music Festival held the position of Artistic Director and has been President of the Beijing Music Festival Arts Foundation from 2005. Under his leadership the Beijing Music Festival has become one of the internationally acclaimed festivals. Along with numerous performances by world-renowned ensembles and artists, the festival has been commissioning new music from composers such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Philip Glass and Guo Wenjing. In 2000, Long Yu co-founded the China Philharmonic Orchestra and was appointed Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. Now entering his 7th season with the CPO, he has maintained the high standard of orchestral performance and artistic administration. In 2003, Long Yu was appointed the Music Director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. He has toured extensively with the China Philharmonic and the Guangzhou Symphony. From February to April 2005, the China Philharmonic Orchestra took an international tour under the baton of Maestro Long Yu. Within 40 days they appeared in 22 cities throughout North America and Europe. This is the first time a symphony orchestra gave performances in the two continents in China's history, a tour de force even among orchestras all over the world.

Mr. Long Yu's recordings include, on Deutsche Grammophon with the China Philharmonic, Brahms's Piano Quartet in G Minor (orch. Arnold Schoenberg) and Wagner's Tannhäuser Overture, highlights of Chinese symphonic music and Yellow River Concerto with Lang Lang. Recordings on Naxos include Korngold's Violin Concerto and Ding Shande's Long March Symphony.

Long Yu received the 2002 Montblanc Arts Patronage Award from the Montblanc Cultural Foundation, and in 2003 came Le grade de chevalier dans l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres (The Honor of Chevalier of French Art and Culture) from the Government of France. In 2005, Italian President honored Maestro Long Yu L'onorificenza di commendatore.

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Manager: Jean-Jacques Cesbron

Management Territory: Worldwide with limited exceptions