A Life for Classical Music
VIEW EVENT DETAILSIn Conversation with Maestro Long Yu
Long Yu is the conductor of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. He grew up during China‘s Cultural Revolution, when Western classical music was forbidden. Today, he is one of China‘s most successful conductors. He talks to Manuel Rybach of Credit Suisse about his life and the status of classical music in a rapidly changing China.
Long Yu was born in Shanghai in 1964 into a family of musicians and according to The New York Times he is “[…] the most powerful figure in China’s classical music scene.” He studied at the Shanghai Conservatory and the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. He is currently the Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra and three other ensembles which are renowned among the finest in China. In addition, he is also the Founding Artistic Director of the Beijing Music Festival which is the internationally recognized hub of musical life in China’s capital. As the Artistic Co-Director of the MISA Festival, he brings classical music to the young people of Shanghai, and he is the co-founder of Youth Music Culture Guangdong with Yo-Yo Ma. A big step in promoting co-operation between East and West was made when Maestro Long Yu conducted the first ever Chinese orchestra that performed at the Vatican. Known to be a passionate supporter of cultural dialogue and widely considered China’s cultural diplomat, Long Yu led the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in a historic joint performance with the New York Philharmonic on the Great Lawn of Central Park. His dynamic vision is focused on introducing China’s growing audiences to key Western repertoires such as Wagner’s Ring Cycle, as well as works of Richard Strauss, and many others.
Manuel Rybach is a Managing Director of Credit Suisse and serves as Global Head of Public Affairs and Policy. In addition, he serves as Head of Corporate Citizenship and International Relations in the Chairman's Office and as Managing Director of the Credit Suisse Foundation. Previously, he was Head of Public Policy APAC as well as Chief of Staff to the CEO APAC, based in Hong Kong, managed the Credit Suisse Research Institute and was Head of Governmental Affairs, based in Zurich. He has also been based in Singapore and Washington, DC, working on public policy issues.
Manuel Rybach holds a PhD from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, where he is a Lecturer on Public Affairs and was a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).
Event Details
Impact Hub Viadukt
Bogen D
Viaduktstrasse 93-95
Zurich