B I O G R A P H Y
T I A N Y I L U
Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve
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.
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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, a position she held until the end of the 2023/24 season. Lu was Principal Conductor of the St Woolos Sinfonia in the UK until 2024, and Assistant Conductor of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra from 2017-2019.​​​​
Recent highlights include concerts and recordings with the Philharmonia Orchestra London, Hallé Orchestra Manchester, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre National de Lyon, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Residentie Orkest, Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, and Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
​​A former Dudamel Fellow, Lu made her Hollywood Bowl debut with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in July 2021, and returned for her Disney Hall debut in April 2023. In autumn 2021, Lu conducted performances of Verdi's ‘Rigoletto’ at the Aalto-Musiktheater Essen, and in 2023, she appeared at Theater Basel to conduct the world premiere of Bobbi Jene Smith's production of ‘Marie & Pierre’, composed for the Theater Basel by Celeste Oram.​​​​
Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve
The 2024/25 season sees Tianyi Lu make her debut at the BBC Proms in London with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sol Gabetta as soloist. She also makes debuts with the New York Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, and Staatsorchester Stuttgart. Return engagements include re-invitations to the London Philharmonic Orchestra, MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Seattle Symphony, Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Duisburger Philharmoniker, and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.
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Passionately committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to building a more empathetic world through the arts, Tianyi Lu is on the Board of Directors for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and 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.​
Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve
​​​Tianyi completed her Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours at the University of Auckland with Uwe Grodd and Karen Grylls, before studying at the University of Melbourne with John Hopkins. In 2015 she completed her Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting with Distinction at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she studied with David Jones.​​​
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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 alumnus 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.​​
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Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve
Photo Credit: Marco Borggreve
Tianyi is based in Europe, where she is loving cycling through nature, exploring new cultures, foods, languages and the sea.
​​​Tianyi is grateful for the support of various scholarship trusts and organisations over the years, including:
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The Cybec Foundation
Arts Council Wales Pathfinder Award
Prince of Wales Scholarship
Silver Medal, Worshipful Company of Musicians, London
Creative New Zealand
Kiwi Music Scholarship
Anne Bellam Scholarship
Anne Reid Scholarship
LB Wood Travelling Scholarship
Australian Postgraduate Award