
LIN Daye
LIN Daye is Associate Professor at the Conducting Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Music Director of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SZSO) and winner of the sixth Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition.
LIN is an outstanding young conductor. Born in Shandong in 1980, he learned to play the piano at an early age and began to study conducting at the age of 15 with XU Xin, a famous conductor and educator of the Central Conservatory of Music. In 1998, he entered the Department of Composition and Conducting of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied under the famous conductor Prof. ZHANG Guoyong. In 2000, he attended the master’s class by Seiji Ozawa and received positive feedback from the master. In 2005, he went to study at HfM Berlin on a national scholarship of German, where he studied under the renowned German conductor Prof. Christian Ehwald. In Germany, he worked closely with major orchestras both at home and abroad.
From 2012 to 2015, LIN was appointed as permanent conductor of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra (GSO). He made many visits and tours with the GSO at home and abroad. In October 2009, he toured Europe and performed at the Gendarmenmarkt Concert Hall in Berlin. In 2010, he went to Bangkok to hold two concerts for the Thai royal family and dignitaries. In March 2011, he led the GSO in a concert at the NCPA; in October of the same year, he led the GSO on another European tour, giving concerts at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, the Verdi Opera House in Florence, and the TAK Theatre Liechtenstein. In 2012-2013, he made several visits to China's Macao and Taiwan regions and Singapore with the GSO for cultural exchanges and performances. In September 2014, he went to Australia with the GSO to give concerts in Sydney and Canberra. In January 2015, he visited Europe for the third time, giving concerts in Zurich, Geneva and Bern, Switzerland. In 2015, he conducted the GSO’s New Year Concert for the fourth time, becoming the only conductor to have done so, since the GSO launched the New Year Concert in 1993.
In 2010, LIN made his first collaboration with the China Philharmonic Orchestra (with violin virtuoso Midori at the Beijing International Music Festival) and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra; shortly after he was invited to work with both orchestras again. He then conducted the symphonic choral concert for thousands at the International Choral Festival of Expo Shanghai 2010. In August of the same year, he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in a concert at the Shanghai Summer Music Festival. Afterwards, he conducted the Chinese premiere of the Pulitzer Prize winning opera The Legend of White Snake by composer ZHOU Long, which was jointly commissioned by the Beijing International Music Festival and Boston Opera House.
In October 2011, LIN was invited by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra to conduct the Mahler concert at the China Shanghai International Arts Festival. In November of the same year, he conducted the Golden Bell Award Violin Competition organized by the Chinese Musicians Association and closing concert of the Golden Bell Award. Since 2011, he has been repeatedly awarded the title of “Excellent Musician of Guangdong” by the Guangdong Musicians Association.
In 2012, LIN won first place at the sixth Sir Georg Solti International Conducting Competition in Frankfurt, Germany, becoming the first Chinese to win this honour. In the same year, he was awarded the “Outstanding Contribution Award” by Guangdong Musicians Association. In the 2012-2013 season, he worked with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in concerts of works by contemporary Chinese composers, performed César Franck's Symphony in D minor with the China Philharmonic Orchestra, and made his North American debut by conducting the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in three concerts with outstanding success.
In 2013, LIN was selected as a member of the Guangdong Youth Federation. In 2013-2014 season, he conducted the world premiere of composer ZHOU Long’s symphonic epic Nine Odes at the 16th Beijing International Music Festival, conducted the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in the performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, conducted a special performance of Rachmaninoff’s works with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, conducted the Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra in the premiere of GUO Wenjing’s violin concerto, led the SZSO on a tour to Eastern Europe, conducted the Shanghai Opera House and GSO in a performance of Mascagni’s opera Cavalleria Rusticana, and conducted Mahler’s Symphony No.1 at the closing concert of the GSO’s 2013-2014 season.
In May 2015, LIN was invited to conduct the 15th anniversary concert of the China Philharmonic Orchestra. Afterwards, he participated in the Musical Olympus Festival under the invitation of the Mariinsky Theatre, conducting the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra at St. Petersburg Philharmonic Hall. In June of the same year, he was invited to conduct the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in place of Maestro Edo de Waart; in September, he returned to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to teach in the Conducting Department based on the recommendation of the distinguished conductor Mr. HUANG Xiaotong, the conductor-educator Mr. ZHANG Guoyong and master conductor Mr. YU Long. He is now Director of the Teaching and Research Office and Associate Professor of the Conducting Department of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
In 2016, he was invited by the China Philharmonic Orchestra to conduct the 2016 CCTV New Year Concert. In March, he was invited by the Castilla y León Symphony Orchestra of Spain to deliver two concerts, which were a amazing success. He was invited by the orchestra for collaboration again two years later. In May 2016, he was invited to conduct a special concert of works by ZHAO Jiping at the Shanghai Spring International Music Festival.
In May 2016, the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism officially appointed LIN as Music Director and Principal Conductor of the SZSO. In September of the same year, upon the invitation of the Emilia Romagna Festival Association and Romanian Broadcast Media Culture Centre, he led the SZSO to perform at major international music festivals such as the Festival Ljubljana in Slovenia, Emilia Romagna Festival in Italy, Merano Music Festival and International Festival of Radio Orchestras in Romania, where they had received great applause.