Conductor QIAN Junping, having just completed his second year as the Assistant Conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, also serves as a Visiting Faculty member at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

His recent engagements, aside from his schedule with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, notably, include conducting the Covid-19 recovery rehearsal camp of Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, stepping in for Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, a China Tour with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Teatro del Giglio Lucca, his South American debut with Orchestra SODRE in Montevideo, Uruguay, his North American professional debut with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, an open-air summer concert in “Summer Classics” Festival Sibiu and re-invitations from Toronto, China Macau, Kunming, Bucharest, Iasi, and Tirgus Mures. He served as the Strategic Advisor and Residential Artist of the Shanghai & Royal College of Music London Joint Institute from 2018 to 2020.

Junping was the First Prize winner of the 2017 Bucharest International Conducting Competition and will be performing with orchestras throughout Eastern Europe between 2018 and 2020. He won the 3^rd Prize and the Orchestra Prize in 7^th Edition of Lovro Matacic Competition in Zagreb, Croatia. He is the 2018 recipient of the Bruno Walter Memorial Foundation Conducting Scholarship and is supported by the Solti Foundation. Last summer, he was invited to participate in the prestigious Tanglewood Conducting Seminar, the Cabrillo Music Festival in Santa Cruz, CA. Junping was one of the final winners of the prestigious INTERKATION-Conductors Workshop in Berlin, Germany, where he worked with Maestro Simone Young and Das Kritische Orchester. He was the Assistant Conductor of the new opera "Marco Polo" at the Guangzhou Opera House in April 2018, where he worked closely with composer Enjott Schneider, director Kaspar Holten, tenor Peter Lodahl, Maestro Muhai Tang, and the Macau Orchestra. Last year, Junping led the Iasi Philharmonic Orchestra on a tour celebrating the 100^th Anniversary since the formation of Romania and the end of World War I. After graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music, he studied conducting with Mark Gibson at the University of Cincinnati, Michael Jinbo of the Pierre Monteux Conducting School, and was the last private student of legendary pedagogue Otto Werner Mueller. He has been mentored by British conductor Daniel Harding since 2014 and Sir Roger Norrington since 2019. He graduated from the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin under Professors Christian Ehwald, Hans-Dieter Baum, and Manuel Nawri.

His first appearance as a conductor was at the tender age of 10 with his school choir. He later became the Assistant Conductor of the Shanghai Youth Orchestra of the Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music until his graduation in 2009. Junping made his European conducting debut at the Verbier Festival in the summer of 2012, where he met Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit, who praised him of "having such a simple and natural technique".

Junping moved to Europe in 2015 and has since stood at the podium of Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Brandenburgisches Staatsorchester Frankfurt (Oder), Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Silesian Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, Neubrandengurger Philharmonie, Berlin Sinfonietta, Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatian National TV&Broadcast Orchestra, Shanghai Youth Orchestra, Xi`an Symphony Orchestra, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Toronto Festival Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, Gyor Philharmonic Orchestra, Radom Chamber Orchestra, Sächsische Bläserphilharmonie, among others. In the 2017-2018 season, he served as the Interim Staff Conductor of The Diplomatic Choir of Berlin.

Junping is also an accomplished violist, having won many prizes and scholarships including Second Place at the 2006 Johansen International Competition in Washington D.C., as well as First Place at both the China National Viola Competition in 2007 and the Morningside Music Bridge Chamber Music Competition in 2008. In the summer of 2016, he left his tutti position at the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, a position he won in 2014, to pursue conducting full-time.

DONG Dai is Assistant Conductor of the China NCPA Chorus. She is a graduate of the Conducting Department of the China Conservatory of Music, where she once studied under Pro. LI Xincao, President of the China Conservatory of Music and renowned conductor. Now she is studying for a doctor’s degree in opera conducting at the Conducting Department of the China Conservatory of Music.

Since she took office as Assistant Conductor of the China NCPA Chorus, DONG Dai has been involved in the rehearsal of the NCPA’s numerous Chinese and foreign operas and concerts under the careful guidance of many artists, including LI Xincao and LÜ Jia, accumulating invaluable experience in rehearsing operas and artistic choral works. She has attended lots of international masterclasses given by maestros including Ulrich Windfuhr, Alexander Polishchuk, Daniele Rosina and Mikhail Golikov, gaining a wealth of practical experience. In 2023, she planned and conducted the China NCPA Chorus in delivering a concert entitled, “Adventures in Music”. She takes an active part in art activities for public wellbeing, goes deep into schools and communities for elegant art popularisation, and plays an active role in arts management, such as organising a music season for the China NCPA Chorus.

During her school years, DONG Dai served as Assistant Conductor of the China Conservatory of Music Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and shared the stage with the China National Symphony Orchestra, China Conservatory of Music Symphony Orchestra, Tianjin Symphony Orchestra, Gansu Opera House, etc. She worked as Associate Conductor of the concert version of opera Carmen, and successfully rehearsed operas La Bohème, The Wilderness and Tosca, chamber opera commissions Tulip and DU Liniang, symphonic works My Motherland and Red Symphony, etc. She held a solo concert entitled “Unique Classical” in 2020 and a solo concert entitled, “A Unique Encounter” in 2023.

The Beijing Philharmonic Choir was founded in 1983 by Prof. YANG Hongnian, a renowned conductor and music educator. Prof. YANG Li is now the Artistic Director and Resident Conductor of the Choir.

For over four decades, the Choir has nurtured thousands of music-loving young talents and achieved remarkable artistic accomplishments. It has won over 40 international competition awards, including Four prizes at the 44^th International Polyphonic Competition "Guido d’Arezzo" in Italy in 1996, setting a historic record for the event; First place in the Youth Category and the second place in the Female Category at the 24^th Béla Bartók International Choir Competition in Hungary in 2010; A total of 15 prizes at the Istanbul International Chorus Competition in Turkey and the 7th International Competition of Choirs and Vocal Ensembles "The Singing World" named after Y. Falik in St. Petersburg, Russia in 2011; Second place in the finals at the 54th "Seghizzi" International Choral Singing Competition in Gorizia, Italy, in 2015; Grand Prix at the 65th International Polyphonic Competition "Guido d’Arezzo" in Italy in 2017. Since its founding, the Choir has been building bridges for cultural exchanges between China and the world. Prof. YANG Hongnian and YANG Li have led the Choir in its tours in many countries and regions in Europe, America and Asia, as well as China's Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Notably, the Choir has contributed to China's efforts in bidding for and hosting the Olympic Games. In 1993 and 2001, the Choir joined the delegation of the Beijing municipal government in the Olympics bid to Monte Carlo and Moscow. In August 2008, the Choir performed the Olympic Hymn, the Olympic Anthem, adapted by Prof. YANG Hongnian at the opening ceremony of the 29^th Olympic Games in Beijing. In October 2021, the Choir participated in the Welcome Ceremony for the Olympic Flame for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 held at the Olympic Tower. In February 2022, the Choir was invited by the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, singing the theme song Snowflake.

In September 2016, led by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, as the Peace Angel, the Choir traveled to Palestine and Israel, launching the world tour of Ode to Peace. From 2017 to 2019, the Choir visited Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland, Pyongyang, North Korea, and the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon, singing Ode to Peace and calling for peace around the world.

With the mission of “Love & Devotion”, the Choir has been active in charitable and public welfare events and educational concerts, sharing love and the beauty of music

China NCPA Chorus was established on December 8, 2009. It is the resident chorus of the China National Centre for the Performing Arts. WU Lingfen, the famous conductor, serves as its chorus master. As the professional artistic performing group that belongs to the highest palace of performing arts in China, the chorus adheres to the NCPA’s guiding principle of "for the people, for art, for the world" and is recognized as a vigorous professional chorus with infinite potential.

As one of China’s leading choruses both in the opera and concert, the NCPA Chorus has participated in more than 60 Chinese and foreign operas produced by the NCPA such as Xishi, The Ballad of Canal, The Red Guards on Honghu Lake, Visitors on the Snow Mountain, FANG Zhimin, The Long March, The Daughter of the Party, Turandot, Carmen, La Traviata, Der Fliegende Holländer, and Aida. The chorus has also planned and performed in many large-scale vocal works and theme concerts including Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Mahler’s Eighth Symphonies, Verdi’s Requiem, and Concert to Commemorate the 110^th Anniversary of HUANG Zi’s Birth, opera concerts such as William Tell, Don Juan and so on. By means of the concerts, the chorus have get high appraisals by the high artistic standard. The late conductor Lorin Maazel said, “It is a chorus of passion”; conductor Daniel Oren, who was excited after rehearsal, said, “This is the chorus that has the best sound I have ever heard. Young as they are, they are better than many of the choruses in Europe”; conductor Antonio Pappano said, “This is a youthful and passionate chorus that has been well trained to sound wonderful and harmonious”; the world famous tenor Domingo once said, “I am honoured to cooperate with these gifted young artists”.

In addition, they were invited to participate in the Opening ceremony of the XXIV Winter Olympic Games music recording, The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference 2024 New Year Tea Party Performance and other major national cultural activities. The chorus has actively demonstrated their mission and responsibility.

The NCPA Chorus has made unremitting efforts and continuous pursuit in art, and has accumulated a series of representative songs with distinctive artistic style like Take the Lead, The Moon Rises above the Island and so on. They have commissioned the creation and adaptation of The Sky-like Alashan, Crescent Moon and other works have been loved and widely praised by the audience.

The journey of music is full of beauty and joy. The NCPA Chorus has gone through a glorious history of 15 years. The artists of the chorus devote their most vigorous and dynamic youth to the cause of opera and chorus. Looking forward to a new journey, the NCPA Chorus will continue to sing without forgetting the original intention.

China NCPA Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Beijing. Since its founding in 2010, the orchestra has quickly established itself as one of the most adventurous and dynamic orchestras in the country and earned an international reputation through extensive performances abroad.

Numerous world-renowned artists have collaborated with the orchestra, including Lorin Maazel, Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev, Myung-Whun Chung, Christoph Eschenbach, Daniele Gatti, Jaap van Zweden, Fabio Luisi, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Leif Segerstam, Gunter Herbig, Shao-Chia Lu, ZHANG Xian, Rudolf Buchbinder, Stephen Kovacevich, Khatia Buniatishvili, Lang Lang, Yuja Wang, ZHANG Haochen, Víkingur Ólafsson, Kyung-Wha Chung, Vadim Repin, Siqing Lu, NING Feng, WANG Jian, Gautier Capucon, Alison Balsom, Sabine Meyer, Placido Domingo, Leo Nucci, and Renee Fleming among many others. Lorin Maazel worked closely with the orchestra before his passing and praised the musicians for their “amazing professionalism and great passion in music”. Christoph Eschenbach also declared it as “one of the finest orchestras in Asia”.

Over the years, the orchestra has gained critical acclaim for its artistic excellence in both concerts and operas. To date they have played in over 70 NCPA opera productions, including classical repertoires such as Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Tristan and Isolde, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Aida, Otello, Nabucco, Tosca, Turandot, The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin, and newly commissioned works Rickshaw Boy, The Long March, Fang Zhimin, The Jinsha River, Visitors on the Snow Mountain and The Dawns Here Are Quiet. Their live recording of The Ring without Words with its creator, Lorin Maazel, was released on SONY Music worldwide, the only recording the great maestro ever made with an orchestra from China. In 2019, the orchestra’s recording of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 was awarded "Best Orchestral Album" at the 2018 Chinese Audiophile Vinyl Award. In 2021, the NCPAO released Beethoven’s Egmont becoming the first Chinese orchestra to record this masterpiece. In celebration of the decade-long tenure of its Music Director LÜ Jia, the orchestra released a selection of live recordings conducted by him in 2022. 2024 saw the orchestra release its recording of the complete Bruckner symphonies, praised by Gramophone as "expressive and refulgent".

The orchestra has consistently offered creative and diverse programmes through its concert season. As part of its continuous efforts to promote contemporary music, the orchestra presented the China Premieres of major works by John Adams, Toru Takemitsu et al. and gave the World Premieres of dozens of substantial new orchestral works commissioned from composers across the globe, including Qigang Chen, ZHAO Jiping, Michael Gordon, Kalevi Aho, HUANG Ruo, Bright Sheng, Bernd Richard Deutsch, et al. It has also played a significant role in the NCPA's Young Composers Programme, providing a unique platform nurturing the next generation of composers in China.

Alongside its concert series, the orchestra has received widespread praise for its international appearances at the Kissingen Summer Music Festival and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival and concerts in many cities in Germany, as well as in Sydney, Singapore, Seoul, Daegu, Abu Dhabi, Taipei and Macao. In 2014, the orchestra undertook its first North American tour and returned in 2017, where it performed at Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Center, Davies Symphony Hall and other major venues in the US and Canada, under the baton of LÜ Jia. Musical America praised its “joyful confidence and youthful strength”. Concerto Net described it as “a polished, first rate ensemble”. In 2021, they appeared in "See Me: A Global Concert" along with world-wide artists, orchestras and choirs as part of the Opening Ceremony of the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda virtual event. In 2022, the orchestra recorded for the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, accompanying billions of viewers as they witnessed the lighting of the Olympic flame. In April 2023, musicians from the orchestra visited South America, performing joint concerts with the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra in Brazil and the Instituto Superior de Arte del Teatro Colon in Argentina.

In 2025, the orchestra, led by Myung-Whun Chung, completed its first multi-country European tour, performing at the Edinburgh International Festival, Santander International Festival, and Elbphilharmonie, receiving“immediate and unanimous (ovation)” (Bachtrack), and was hailed by the Hamburger Abendblatt as "cleanly and richly sonorous…The ambition of this orchestra was unmistakably great".

With its commitment to educational and outreach activities, the orchestra has presented a series of Weekend Matinee Concerts at its home venue, providing local audience specially selected programmes and accessible ticket prices. The orchestra also frequently initiates wide-reaching educational projects in association with educational institutions across the city. In 2020, the orchestra launched an online concert series drawing an average audience of 30 million viewers. In 2024, the Beijing Youth Orchestra, operated by the NCPAO, participated in World Orchestra Week and made its international debut at Carnegie Hall. April 2021 saw the orchestra complete their first six-city national tour, which Music Weekly praised as "a series of sophisticated programs in concerts that blew the roof off,” followed by two national tours in March 2023 and March 2025.

In February 2012, LÜ Jia took up the post of Chief Conductor, succeeding Zuohuang Chen, NCPA’s then Artistic Director of Music as well as a founder of the orchestra. In January 2017, LÜ Jia started serving as NCPA's Artistic Director of Music and the NCPA Orchestra's Music Director. Beginning in the 2025/26 season, ZHANG Xian assumes the role of Principal Guest Conductor. In 2022, LAI Jiajing was appointed as Assistant Conductor.