Long Yu, the distinguished Chinese conductor with an extensive international reputation, is the Music Director of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and the Principal Guest Conductor of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as holding the positions of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra. Long is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Beijing Music Festival, and Co-Director of the MISA Shanghai Summer Festival.
This season marks his 16th season tenure as Music Director of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. In the 2017/18 season, aside from his work in China, Long makes return appearances with the New York Philharmonic, Orchestre de Paris, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Tonhalle Zurich, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and Orchestre National de Lyon. Long has conducted a prestigious list of orchestras and opera companies throughout the world including the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris, Bamberger Symphoniker, Hamburgische Staatsoper, Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, NDR Sinfonieorchester, Munich Philharmonic, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic and Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Long made his debut with the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra in 1993 and in 2003 became Music Director of the orchestra.
During his time as Music Director, Long has embarked on European and Egyptian tours with the orchestra, performing at Theatre des Champs-Elysees in Paris, Conservatoire de Luxembourg, Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Cairo Opera House. Long continues to collaborate frequently with many of the world’s most celebrated soloists such as Alison Balsom, Sumi Jo, Lang Lang, Yo-Yo Ma, Mischa Maisky, Maxim Venerov and Yuja Wang. In 2008, for the first time in history, the China Philharmonic Orchestra performed under the baton of maestro Long Yu at the Vatican in the Paul VI Auditorium. The concert was attended by Pope Benedict XIV and marked a giant step in bringing eastern and western cultures closer together. Born in 1964 into a musical family in Shanghai, Long studied at the Shanghai Conservatory and the Hochschule der Kunst in Berlin. In 1992, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Central Opera Theatre in Beijing and served as its conductor for three consecutive years. He created opera productions for The Urban Council of Hong Kong for five successive years. In 1998, he led the creation of the Beijing Music Festival and has been its Artistic Director ever since.