ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS
In November 2016, he became the first Asian in a managerial role at a Western opera house, serving as the Director of Audition for Asia at Maryland Lyric Opera (MDLO). From there, he leverages educational grants to provide opportunities for young Chinese opera singers. In Jan and October 2018, Yi accompanied MDLO’s artistic director Mr. Salemno to Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu to hold the first Young Artist audition in China. After a very competitive selection process, over ten promising Chinese young artists came to the US on full scholarship, joined by young artists from all over the world to participate in the Training Program and take free opera course. This experience helped open doors to professional Western opera system.
In June 2019, Yi joined at Washington University of Columbia District. as vice Professor.
PERFORMANCES
There are only a few Chinese tenors who had risen to the level Yi had on the world stage. With formidable operatic talent and ability to bring the characters to life, Yi built up his operatic repertoire steadily, one leading role at a time. His performances in the Metropolitan Opera’s productions of Manon Lescaut , Roméo et Juliette, the Flying Dutchman and Il il Tabarro proved himself a to watch in the opera world. Overall, Yi performed in more than forty operas, including Alfredo in La Traviata, Rudolfo in La Boheme, Don Jose in Carmen, Edmondo in Manon Lescaut, Tybalt in Roméo et Juliette, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana , Steuermann in The Flying Dutchman, Luigi in il Tabarro, Belfiore in La Finta Giardiniera, Smith in Bizet’s La jolie fille de Perth, Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni, Tamino in the Magic Flute, Duke in Rigoletto, Nadir in Les Pêcheurs de Perles, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor , Dick Johnson in Fanciulla del West, Nicias in Thais....
In addition to New York Metropolitan Opera, Yi performs at other leading opera houses around the world, including San Francisco Opera, Washington National Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Chinese National Center for the Performing Art, Spoleto Opera in Italy, Marmande Opera in France, Maryland Lyric Opera, Cincinnati Opera, Nashville Opera, Indiana Opera, and Toledo Opera.
Over the years, Yi works closely with top symphony orchestras around the world, including BBC Symphony Orchestra of UK, National Symphony Orchestra of the United States, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and Macau Orchestra.
Yi also frequents well-known music festivals worldwide, including Lincoln Center Art Festival in New York, Spoleto Festival in Italy and Singapore Art Festival.
In October 2019, Yi was invited to perform the theme song at the Closing Ceremony of 2019 Beijing World Horticultural Expo.
HONOURS AND AWARDS
In recent years, Yi won the 1st place at Metropolitan Opera National Committee contest, 1st prize at New York Sullivan International Voice Competition, 2nd prize at New York Gerda Lisener International Voice Competition, 1st prize at Marmande International Voice Competition in France, 1st Prize at Columbus Opera Contest in the US, 1st Prize and five individual prizes at 2009 Taipei SHIHUA international voice competition, and Golden Bell Prize in China in 2009, the highest honor for opera singers in China.
EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE
Yi was born in Jinan, Shandong province and graduated Sichuan Music Conservatory, where he began his teaching career right after graduation. He was offer a full scholarship to earn an Artist Diploma in Voice at University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music (CCM). In 2013, he was invited personally by world famous tenor Domingo to participate in Washington National Opera’s revered Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program, where he studied directly from Domingo.
