Chu Yi-bing
Chu Yi-Bing Cello
Cellist and conductor Chu Yi-Bing is a member of the Chinese Musicians' Association Councils. In 1986, he won the prize at the Concours International d'Exécution Musicale in Geneva, becoming the first Chinese cellist to win a major prize at an international music competition.
As a child, Chu was taught piano and cello by his father, the cello professor Chu Yong-Ning. At the age of thirteen, Chu released his first solo record. At the age of seventeen, he was accepted into the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, where he studied with Maurice Gendron. In 1987, Chu Yi-Bing graduated with distinction and the Premier Prix, making him the first Chinese musician to receive this prestigious award from one of the top music conservatories in Europe. After that, he worked as the principal cellist with the Basel Symphony Orchestra for 15 years, as well as the guest principal cellist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Munich. In addition, he studied conducting at the Music Academy in Basel and worked with symphony orchestras in Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Zurich, and Prague in the following years.
From 2004 to 2018, Chu Yi-Bing was a professor and head of the cello department at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In addition to his teaching, he played solo concerts, performed in ensembles, conducted orchestras, and was involved in social projects. The Chu Yi-Bing Cello Ensemble, which he founded, has performed for every Chinese president and various heads of state from around the world. In China, he performed in more than 500 social institutions and educational institutions in dozens of cities to promote the beauty of classical music. The Cello Ensemble has toured many countries, such as India, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. The ensemble has released three albums, "The Dream Journey" (cello octet), "Ave Maria" (cello quartet), and "The Bicentenary of Richard Wagner" (cello sextet, in memory of the 200th anniversary of Richard Wagner). In 2016, Chu Yi-Bing launched the SuperCello Festival, the first festival of cello music in China. Hundreds of cellists participate in the event in Beijing each year, including leading interpreters from around the world.