Biography

Yiqi Chen was born in 2007 in China. At the age of seven, he was initiated into cello learning by Enwei Gu. At the age of eleven, he was admitted to the 5^th grade of the Central Conservatory of Music Affiliated Primary School with excellent results. He studied under Professor Mingqing Yu, cello professor at the Central Conservatory of Music, doctoral supervisor and president of the Cello Society of the Chinese Musicians Association. In 2020, he was admitted to the 1^stgrade of the Middle School Affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music with the 1^st place in his major. Yiqi once participated in the recording of the "Music in the East" concert of the CCTV music channel. In 2022, he received a letter of recommendation from the world-renowned cellist and educator David Geringas and an invitation letter from the Russian young cellist Vasily Stepanov. He was admitted to the Gnessin Special Music School in Moscow without examination and studied with the famous Russian youth Cellist Professor Vasily Stepanov. 

Yiqi has participated in masterclasses of Ivan Monighetti, Lynn Harrell, Ronald Leonard, Martti Rousi, Philippe Muller, Michaela Fukacova, etc. He’s a scholarship holder of the Music Academy of Liechtenstein and takes part in the intensive weeks and activities of the academy.

During his studies at school, Yiqi has always maintained the 1^st place in the cello major and won the 1^st place in domestic and foreign competitions many times. In 2023, he received the 2^nd prize of the “Sviatoslav Knushevitsky International Cello Competition” in elderly group and in 2022 the 2^nd price in the “7^th Mravinsky International String Competition” (1^st place vacant). In 2021, he won the 1^st prize in the “8^th Swedish Stockholm International Music Competition” and the 1^st prize in the “3^rd Czech Gustav Mahler Prize Cello Competition”  in the category and the Gustav Mahler Academy Dean's Award. Yiqi also received the highest award in the 2020 “Classical Stars International Music Competition”, the "Crown of the Stars Best Performer Award”, the “Silver Award for Chamber Music Duo Group D” and the only special award awarded by the jury. He received a scholarship, was invited to record by the classical music record company KNS and was interviewed by the Music and Stars Awards classical music magazine. Also in 2020, he won the 1^st place in the cello youth category of the “San Francisco International Innovative Music Competition”, the 1^st prize and the Special Award for Outstanding Young Talents in the “Artist Grand Prix International Music Competition” in Germany, the 1^stprize in the “Saint Saëns International Music Competition” in the UK and the 1^st prize as well as the “Musician Special Award” in the “30^th International Young Musician Competition Città di Barletta” in Italy.

In 2023, Yiqi was invited to participate in the Gstaad Music Festival in Switzerland.

He received the first-class diploma of the Moscow Mayor’s Scholarship in the field of culture and art in 2023.