First Violin
Adopted by anonymous patron
Qian Wu was born in China. She began violin lessons at the age of seven and earned a place at the Shanghai Conservatoire of Music, where she was awarded many scholarships. In 1998 she won the second prize in the National Young Violinists Competition in China and in 2000 she was a semi-finalist in the Menuhin International Violin competition in the UK.
In September 2000, she came to England to study at Chetham’s School of Music, and in 2002 won the String Section of the Liverpool Young Musician Competition. This success gave her the opportunity to perform Walton’s Violin Concerto with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. In the following years, she won many awards and placed in prestigious competitions. While at Chetham’s, she gave many recitals all over the UK. and Europe, and also had the honour of playing in a concert for the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace.
In 2004, Qian was awarded a full scholarship for her four years undergraduate study at the Royal Academy of Music in Mr. Gyorgy Pauk’s class. In her first year at the Academy, she became leader of the Royal Academy of Music’s Chamber Orchestra. She has played under many famous conductors including Sir Colin Davis, Sir Mark Elder, Valery Gergiev, Daniel Harding and Kristjan Jarvi.
After Qian gained first class honours in her B. Mus. degree and was awarded the Princess Alice prize for exemplary studentship in 2008, she continued her postgraduate study with Mr. Gyorgy Pauk at the Royal Academy of Music, being awarded a full scholarship for two more years. In 2010, Qian received distinction in her M.Mus degree together with DipRAM.
Qian was the founder and leader of the former Wu Quartet, an ensemble which won countless awards in international competitions. The quartet recorded their debut CD, featuring some of Mendelssohn’s finest chamber work, in 2014.
She joined the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in February 2019, and says that it’s the friendliest orchestra she has ever worked with.
Fun Fact:
Away from the Orchestra, Qian enjoys running, swimming, spending time with family, baking and travelling (she loves Rome and the Lake District). She also teaches at Chetham's School of Music.