Tianyi Lu

Tianyi Lu

Guest Conductor

“Lu […] is fast making her mark on the international conducting scene”
Elizabeth Bouman, Otago Daily Times, 23.09.2019

Internationally known for her thrilling energy on the podium, her deeply creative approach to the repertoire and her open-hearted style of leadership, Chinese-born New Zealander Tianyi Lu collaborates with major orchestras and opera houses worldwide. Her work is driven by an ethos of empowerment, creating connection and compassion across diverse communities through music. 

After winning first prize in 2020 at both the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors' Competition and the International Conducting Competition “Guido Cantelli” in Italy, Tianyi Lu was appointed Conductor-in-Residence with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway, following a sensational debut with them in 2020/21. She is also the Female-Conductor-in-Residence with the Welsh National Opera and Principal Conductor of the St Woolos Sinfonia in the UK.

Recent highlights include concerts and recordings with the Het Residentie Orkest Den Haag, Västerås Sinfonietta, Orquestra Gulbenkian, Philharmonia Orchestra London, Hallé Orchestra Manchester, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Malmö Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonie and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. A former Dudamel Fellow, in July 2021 Lu made her Hollywood Bowl debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and in autumn 2021 conducted performances of Verdi's Rigoletto at the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen. Lu conducted various concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as their Assistant Conductor throughout 2017-2019.

The 2022/2023 season sees Tianyi Lu making her debut with the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Philharmonisches Orchester Freiburg, Orchestra della Toscana, and Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, plus return engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Turku Philharmonic Orchestra and Seattle Symphony.

Passionately committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and to building a more empathetic world through the arts, Tianyi Lu is an Artist Ambassador for Opera for Peace. She is regularly invited to work with and speak to communities and institutions about her experiences in empowering leadership, transforming cultures, resilience and wellbeing. She has appeared in and hosted Welsh National Opera's Podcast The O Word, has spoken as a guest for London Marathon Events and the Do More Good Podcast, and conducted and hosted Ears Wide Open concerts with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Tianyi Lu completed her Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting with Distinction at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2015, where she studied with David Jones. She has assisted or attended masterclasses with Sir Andrew Davis and Xian Zhang with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Daniele Gatti with the Concertgebouworkest, Bernard Haitink with the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, and is an alumni of the Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera. Other teachers and mentors have included Sian Edwards, Carlo Rizzi, Neemi Järvi, Alexander Polianichko, Kenneth Kiesler, Carlo Montanaro and Alice Farnham.

Photo credit: Marco Borggreve

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