Chunyi began studying the violin at the age of four and, from the age of nine, attended the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In 2013, she was awarded a full scholarship in violin performance to the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music at the National University of Singapore. During her studies, she developed a strong interest in conducting.
She completed Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Conducting at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. Since 2026, she has been studying in the Konzertexamen programme at the Hochschule für Musik Saar under Manuel Nawri.
Chunyi studied conducting with Sicong Bian, Christian Ehwald and Markus Stenz. In 2019, she won Third Prize at the 10th International Conducting Competition Jeunesses Musicales Bucharest. She was invited to participate in the Princess Astrid International Music Competition and the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam.
She received the Deutschlandstipendium in 2022 and scholarships from the Forum Dirigieren of the Deutscher Musikrat in 2023 and 2025.
Chunyi has served as Assistant Conductor to Markus Stenz for Wagner’s Siegfried in Hangzhou (2024 and 2026), to Kent Nagano on the Hamburg State Opera’s China tour in 2025, and to George Benjamin with the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie in 2026.
She has also appeared as Guest Conductor with the Theater für Niedersachsen, the Bremer Philharmoniker and the Xi’an Symphony Orchestra.
Selected programme
Premilinary Round
Mozart: The Magic Flute Overture K.620
Semi-Finals
1. Wagner: Lohengrin Prelude to Act III
2. Mozart: The Magic Flute Sprecher and Tamino, Act I, Scene 11, Recitative for Sprecher and tenor, without aria.
3. Tchaikovsky: Symphony n°6 in B minor opus 74, “Pathetique”, (1st movement)
Finals
1. Evgeny Svetlanov: Symphony, Largo (3rd movement) (score will be sent electronically to participants)
2. Antonino Abate: Il Re D’Ithaca (approx. 6 minutes), specially commissioned for the Competition (score provided to finalists one hour and a half before performance.)
3. One of three works in the following, chosen by the candidate in the application. The jury will select which of the three is performed –
1. Beethoven: Symphony n°4 in B flat major opus 60
2. Schumann: Symphony n°4 in D minor opus 120
3. Sibelius: Symphony n°2 in D major opus 43