Yu Long

Long Yu
Maestro Long Yu following the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany award ceremony in 2016
Background information
Born (1964-07-01) July 1, 1964
Shanghai, China
Genres Classical
Occupation(s) Musician, conductor
Years active 1990s–present
Associated acts China Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Beijing Music Festival, Music in the Summer Air Festival

Long Yu (Chinese: 余隆; pinyin: Yú Lóng; born July 1, 1964) is a Chinese conductor. He is currently artistic director and chief conductor of the China Philharmonic and of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, music director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, and principal guest conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Yu is also the Chairman of the Artistic Committee of the Beijing Music Festival and co-director of the Music in the Summer Air Festival (MISA).

Biography

The son of a pianist mother and a choreographer father, Yu was born into a family of musicians in Shanghai, China and grew up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Yu received his early childhood music education beginning with piano studies from his grandfather, the composer Ding Shande.[1] He continued his piano studies at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and also began conducting studies, graduating from the conservatory in 1987. He further studied music in Europe at the Universität der Künste Berlin.

After returning from Europe, Yu was appointed principal conductor of the Central Opera Theatre in Beijing in 1992, serving for three years. He produced operas for the Urban Council of Hong Kong for five years. He was a founder of the Beijing Music Festival (BMF) in 1998, becoming its first artistic director.

In 2000, the Chinese government invited Yu to assume leadership of the China Broadcasting Symphony (also called the China National Symphony[2]). Yu held open auditions, becoming the first Chinese orchestra to recruit all its performers this way. The symphony was renamed the China Philharmonic Orchestra and its reputation quickly improved under Yu's leadership.[3] In 2008, Yu and the China Philharmonic performed for Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican, as part of increased diplomatic initiative between China and the Vatican.[4] In July 2014, the China Philharmonic was the first Chinese orchestra to perform at the BBC Proms.[5]

In 2003, the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra appointed Yu its music director.[6] In 2009, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra appointed Yu its music director. During his tenure, the orchestra has begun its Music in the Summer Air Festival (MISA) in August 2010, constructed a new home for the orchestra (the Shanghai Symphony Hall) in 2014, established the Shanghai Orchestra Academy in 2014, and begun the Shanghai Isaac Stern International Violin Competition in 2016.[7] Yu has shared the position of Artistic Co-Director of the Music In the Summer Air Festival (MISA) with Charles Dutoit since the festival's launch in 2010. In January 2015, Yu was named principal guest conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the first appointment of a mainland Chinese conductor to the position.[8]

In June 2018, Deutsche Grammophon announced an exclusive recording deal with Yu and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (SSO).[9] The first SSO recording with Deutsche Grammophon is set to release in 2019 in celebration of SSO's 140th anniversary and will include Chinese and Russian works. Deutsche Grammophon will also release earlier SSO recordings.

On June 26, 2018, Yu announced he is stepping down as the Artistic Director of Beijing Music Festival having served at its helm for 20 years, since its inception. Former Assistant Programming Director, Zou Shuang, has been selected as the Artistic Director beginning with the 21st Beijing Music Festival in October 2018. Yu will remain the Chairman of the Artistic Committee.

Yu and his wife, the violinist Vera Tsu, live in Shanghai. The couple has one daughter.

Select discography

YearAlbumLabel
1996 The Hall of Fame with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra[10] Marco Polo
1997 Korngold / Goldmark: Violin Concertos with Vera Tsu and the Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra Naxos
1997 Greatest Movie Classics with the Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra Marco Polo
1998 The Centre, Vol. 2 Naxos
1999 Discover the Classics, Vol. 3: The Concerto Naxos Educational
2000 Classics at the Movies: Drama Naxos
2003 Love and Peace Naxos
2004 Ding Shande: Long March Symphony with the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra Marco Polo
2006 Dragon Songs with Lang Lang and the China Philharmonic Orchestra[11] Deutsche Grammophon
2008 Tchaikovsky: Romeo & Juliet; Strauss: Don Quixote with the China Philharmonic Orchestra[12] Decca
2009 The Very Best of Cinema Classics Naxos
2012 Bao Yuankai: Five Orchestral Pieces; Lu Qiming: Ode to the Red Flag; Liu Tingyu: Susan Suite with the China Philharmonic Orchestra Deutsche Grammophon
2013 Klassik Ohne Krise: Ganz grosses Kino Naxos
2015 Epics of Love with Song Zuying and the China Philharmonic Orchestra[13] Stockfisch Records

Honors and awards

References

  1. ↑ David Barboza (2009-11-09). "Shanghai Players Arrive, Driven On by Their Titan". New York Times. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  2. ↑ Sheila Melvin and International Herald Tribune (2000-09-13). "Battle of the Orchestras in Beijing". New York Times. Retrieved 2017-01-16.
  3. ↑ Daiqi Xing (2010-04-26). "China Philharmonic Orchestra". Global Times. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  4. ↑ Elisabetta Povoledo (2008-05-08). "China Orchestra Plays for Pope for First Time, Hinting at Thaw". New York Times. Retrieved 2016-12-11.
  5. ↑ Ivan Hewett (2014-07-20). "BBC Proms: China Philharmonic, review: a triumph of programming". Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  6. ↑ Ken Smith (2011-09-25). "Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Esplanade Concert Hall, Singapore". Financial Times. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  7. ↑ "Shanghai Symphony launches $100,000 Isaac Stern Violin Competition". The Strad. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  8. ↑ Oliver Chou (2015-01-14). "Shanghai conductor appointed to No 2 spot at Hong Kong Philharmonic". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  9. ↑ "Long Yu and Shanghai Symphony to Join DG'S Family of Artists". Deutsche Grammophon. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  10. ↑ "Long Yu Albums". Naxos. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Lang Lang: Dragon Songs". Deutsche Grammophon. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  12. ↑ "Long Yu". All Music. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  13. ↑ "Song Zuying Epics Of Love". Elusive Disc. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  14. ↑ Kevin Kwong (2015-09-23). "Shanghai conductor appointed to No 2 spot at Hong Kong Philharmonic". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2016-07-21.
  15. ↑ "Atlantic Council Awards Honorees Urge International Cooperation to Tackle Global Challenges" (Press release). Atlantic Council. October 2015. Retrieved 2016-07-20.
  16. ↑ "2016 Fellow and Foreign Honorary Members with their Affiliations at the Time of Election". American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
  17. ↑ "The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany". Der Bundespräsident. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
Cultural offices
Preceded by
Chen Zuohuang (China Broadcasting Symphony)		 Music Director, China Philharmonic Orchestra
2000–present		 Succeeded by
incumbent
Preceded by
Chen Xieyang		 Music Director, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
2009–present		 Succeeded by
incumbent
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