Guanqun Yu is one of the most promising sopranos of the younger generation and appears regularly at big opera houses worldwide.

Born and educated in China, Yu already sang big roles as Pamina (Die Zauberflöte) and Gilda (Rigoletto) as part of the opera education programme during her studies in Shandong and Shanghai and participated in concerts at important events. She finally became known outside of China by winning the first price at the famous Belvedere Singing Competition.

In September 2008 Yu became a member of the opera studio at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna where she sang many roles of the Italian repertoire. In June 2010 she debuted in Honegger’s Jeanne d’Arc under the baton of Bertrand de Billy at the Musikverein Wien. This was followed, amongst others, by Mimi (La Bohème) at the Pacific Festival in Sapporo conducted by Fabio Luisi and Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) in Bologna. In spring 2012 she sang Lina in Stiffelio at the Teatro Regio di Parma, which was also published on DVD.

Invited by theMetropolitan Opera, Yu gave her debut in New York in fall 2012 with a highly celebrated Trovatore-Leonora which she had already sung at the Verdi Festival Teatro Giuseppe Verdi in Busseto in summer. The same year she was the award recipient of the Placido Domingo Operalia Singing Competition and on Domingo’s wish she sang on his side as Lucrezia in Verdis I due Foscari at Palau de les Arts Valencia. During the same season she returned to Valencia as Desdemona (Otello) under the baton of Zubin Metha. In summer 2013 Yu gave her debut as Countess Almaviva (Le Nozze di Figaro) at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing and as Anna (Nabucco), also at the side of Placido Domingo. In 2013/2014 she returned to the Metropolitan Opera New York as Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) and to Valencia as Maria Boccanegra (Simon Boccanegra) amongst others. Moreover Yu debuted at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, when she agreed to fill in at the last minute and gave a startling performance as Desdemona (Otello).

In 2014/2015 Yu was Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) and Desdemona (Otello) at Oper Köln, debuted as Nedda (Pagliacci) at the Staatstheater Klagenfurt and as Rosina at the Los Angeles Opera in the sequel opera productions Ghosts of Versailles and Le Nozze di Figaro. Furthermore she was Liù (Turandot) at the Bregenzer Festspiele and Maria Boccanegra at Oper Frankfurt and Semperoper Dresden. Engagements of the last season led Yu to Berlin (Pagliacci), Zurich (Boheme), Marseille (Così fan tutte), as well as once more to the Bregenzer Festspiele. She gave her debut as Mathilde in Guillaume Tell at the Hamburgische Staatsoper and as Countess Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich.

In the current season she will sing concerts in Germany, Micaela in Carmen and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni at the Oper Frankfurt as well as Liù in Turandot at the Oper Köln, i.a.