Summer isn’t just about sunshine, beaches, and ice cream for the students of The Yehudi Menuhin School Qingdao—it is a golden time for pursuing dreams and earning accolades! This summer, they participated in numerous competitions both at home and abroad. Let’s take a moment to celebrate their shining achievements!
A Spectacular Showcase in the World of Strings
From violin and classical guitar to cello, the string musicians excelled at every step, building solid foundations on their path to musical greatness! 
Ma Yicheng
Violin Major
Teacher: Tymur Melnyk
First Prize, Junior Professional Group, Shandong Division, 5th China Youth Violin Concerto Competition
Third Prize, National Division, Junior Professional Group, 5th China Youth Violin Concerto Competition
The 5th China Youth Violin Concerto Competition attracted nearly a thousand participants. Our violin student, Ma Yicheng, successfully advanced through the preliminary rounds and, during the summer, returned to the familiar surroundings of YMSQ to compete in intense rounds. Despite it being his first competition, Ma Yicheng handled the pressure and achieved outstanding results.
Wang Yifei
Violin Major
Teacher: He Shucong
Champion, 2024 St. Petersburg International Music Competition
Wang Qi
Violin Major
Teacher: He Shucong
Champion, 2024 St. Petersburg International Music Competition
Wang Xize
Violin Major
Teacher: He Shucong
Runner-up, 2024 St. Petersburg International Music Competition
Li Minglun
Classical Guitar Major
Teacher: Wang You
First Prize, 2024 Qingdao International Guitar Art Festival Competition
Niu Haozheng
Cello Major
Teacher: Yu Mingqing
Junior Group B, 2024 Cloud Super Music Awards for Chamber, Ensemble, and Solo String Instruments
The Cloud Super Music Awards is a professional competition for Western instrumental performance, organized by the China Musical Instrument Association and supported by the Beijing Huaxia Xuanyin Art Communication Center. The event aims to foster communication and integration in classical music, promoting the development of young musicians. Nearly 70 distinguished chamber and string musicians, educators, and professors from across China participated as judges, emphasizing the growth of emerging talent and the advancement of classical music in China.
Yuan Chenfei
Cello Major
Teacher: Liu Bojun
Second Prize, Junior Cello Group, Tenth String Competition in Shenzhen (2024)
Sun Jiazheng
Cello Major
Teacher: Chen Xueqing
First Prize, Children's Group (Professional Level), Fifth CelloFamily International Cello Competition (2024)
Fu Wandi
Cello Major
Teacher: Chen Xueqing
Third Prize, Children's Group (Professional Level), Fifth CelloFamily International Cello Competition (2024)
Brilliant Moments in Piano Competitions
Our piano students also demonstrated their prowess, conquering the hearts of judges and audiences with the magic in their fingertips.
Yang Botian
Piano Major
Teacher: Xu Fei
Champion, Junior Group, Beijing International Music Festival and Academy (BIMFA) Solo Piano Competition
Zhang Wenting
Piano Major
Teacher: Xu Fei
Runner-up, Junior Group, Beijing International Music Festival and Academy (BIMFA) Solo Piano Competition
Zhou Zihao
Piano Major
Teacher: Xu Fei
Fourth Prize, Open Group (12 years and above), Sixth USMCE International Piano Open Competition Finals
First Prize, National Finals, National Youth Music Literacy Competition
On July 21, at the 6th USMCE International Piano Open Competition Finals (12 years and above) held in Xi'an, 12-year-old Zhou Zihao, a sixth-grade student at our school, competed fiercely against 13 finalists from renowned conservatories. He ultimately secured fourth place, with his performance and playing style earning high praise from the judging panel, including Dr. Peter Mack and Dr. Scott McBride Smith, who chaired the event.
The National Youth Music Literacy Competition, hosted by the Chinese Music Literature Association, is a comprehensive music literacy competition for primary and secondary school students. In 2022, it was added to the Ministry of Education's "White List" (a list of officially recognized and approved competitions), becoming one of the ministry's recognized national competitions for young students.
Zhang Zhuoqun
Piano Major
Teacher: Hu Xuesha
First Prize, Junior Group B, China Regional Final, 2024 Schumann International Youth Piano Competition, advancing to the Asia-Pacific Finals
First Prize, Junior Group, 11th Hong Kong International Music Festival (2024), advancing to the Grand Finals
First Prize, Junior Group B, 2024 Yunnan International Piano Art Festival, advancing to the Grand Finals
First Prize, Junior Group C, 20th Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition (2024), advancing to the National Finals
Third Prize, Junior Group C, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Piano Finals (due to schedule conflicts, unable to attend the Hong Kong and Yunnan finals)
The Robert Schumann International Competition is a prestigious event held biennially in Zwickau, Germany, the birthplace of the famous composer. Organized by the Robert Schumann International Competition Committee, it aims to discover and cultivate young pianists and vocalists. Outstanding participants may gain international recognition and opportunities to further their music education. Additionally, the Robert Schumann Hochschule in Düsseldorf also hosts notable piano competitions aimed at nurturing young talent, providing participants with exposure to top-tier music academies and opportunities for advancement in their musical careers.
Wang Shenling
Piano Major
Teacher: Shi He
First Prize, Junior Group B, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition, advancing to the National Finals
Excellence Award, Junior Group B, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Piano Finals
Liu Zewen
Piano Major
Teacher: Patrick Lechner
First Prize, Junior Group B, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition, advancing to the National Finals
Xu Xingcheng
Piano Major
Teacher: Tian Jiaxin
First Prize, Junior Group B, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition, advancing to the National Finals
Tian Puzhi
Piano Major
Teacher: Tian Jiaxin
First Prize, Junior Group A, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition, advancing to the National Finals
Wang Yiran
Piano Major
Teacher: Hu Xuesha
First Prize, Junior Group A, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition, advancing to the National Finals
Duan Meichenxiang
Piano Major
Teacher: Hu Xuesha
First Prize, Junior Group A, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition, advancing to the National Finals
Pan Jinyi
Piano Major
Teacher: Hu Xuesha
First Prize, Junior Group B, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition, advancing to the National Finals
Xue Xiwen
Piano Major
Teacher: Shi He
First Prize, Junior Group A, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition, advancing to the National Finals
Chen Junyi
Piano Major
Teacher: Hu Xuesha
Second Prize, Junior Group A, 2024 Xinghai Cup National Elite Competition
First Prize, Children Group C, 3rd Wefon Chimelong International Piano Open
The Xinghai Cup, one of China’s most prestigious piano competitions, boasts a long history and high professional standards. The competition is the only national piano competition approved by the Ministry of Education. The 20th Xinghai Cup attracted over 45,000 participants during the initial selection phase, with 5,092 advancing to the elite stage, and 639 making it to the national finals.
The Flourishing of Wind Instrument Solos
Our wind instrument students also made their mark, taking home gold medals and showcasing their musical talents and skills!
Liu Yinglu
Trumpet Major
Teacher: Dai Zhonghui
Gold Prize, Senior Group, Oriental Rizhao Wind Music Carnival and Ninth China Cup National Wind Music Solo Exhibition
China Cup Honor Award (First Place, All Age Groups, All Categories) 
Wang Xiuran
Trumpet Major
Teacher: Dai Zhonghui
Gold Prize, Senior Group, Oriental Rizhao Wind Music Carnival and Ninth China Cup National Wind Music Solo Exhibition
Tai Zifeng
Trumpet Major
Teacher: Dai Zhonghui
Gold Prize, Junior Group, Oriental Rizhao Wind Music Carnival and Ninth China Cup National Wind Music Solo Exhibition (Second Place after two rounds)
Yi Hanzhe
Trumpet Major
Teacher: Dai Zhonghui
Gold Prize, Children’s Group, Oriental Rizhao Wind Music Carnival and Ninth China Cup National Wind Music Solo Exhibition (First Place)
The Oriental Rizhao Wind Music Carnival and Ninth China Cup National Wind Music Solo Exhibition took place from August 13-16 in Rizhao, Shandong. Nearly 30 top domestic wind instrument musicians served as judges, and over 600 participants from 22 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions across China were selected to compete after rigorous review by the evaluation committee.
Behind each award is countless hours of practice and hard work.
Congratulations to all the winning students! Let’s celebrate their success and look forward to their continued brilliance on their musical journey!