Yuan Lei Zhu Zhu, Yuan Lei

Although Yuan Lei Zhu graduated in computer science from Feng Chia University, Zhu has loved music since childhood and began studying choral conducting in 1975. With extensive choral experience, Zhu has conducted many community, corporate and school choirs. Alongside work, Zhu traveled many times to Europe and the United States for international competitions and conducting masterclasses, broadening musical horizons and deepening professional expertise in choral music through international cultural exchange.

To pursue a lifelong choral dream, in 2000 Zhu resolutely left the career of the time to co-found, with a group of friends, the Taipei New Choral Culture and Arts Foundation – Taiwan Choral Music Center, becoming a lifelong choral volunteer. Zhu has served as the foundation’s Chair and CEO, working to build up the Taiwan Choral Music Center; launched the Taiwan International Vocal Ensemble Festival (TIVF) in October, which has become the largest international vocal ensemble competition in Asia; and later started the Spring Vocal Festival (SVF) in March, opening up a performance platform for vocal ensembles in Taiwan. Guided by the ideals of innovation, sharing and service, Zhu has worked wholeheartedly to develop vocal ensembles and contemporary a cappella (Contemporary A Cappella) in Taiwan as a modern art form that brings music into everyday life; building a “Choral Knowledge Website” for sharing resources and services is an important direction for Zhu’s future choral work.

To further the professional development of choral music, in 2008 Zhu went to the United States to study vocal jazz and the art of writing for and singing in vocal ensembles, all in order to contribute more to choral music in the future and fulfill the dreams of all choral musicians. Zhu is currently Pop and Jazz Artistic Director of the Taiwan Choral Music Center.