VC Artist Diyang Mei Granted Tenure as Principal Violist of Berlin Philharmonic

Mei joined the orchestra in 2022 and has passed his probationary period

In 2022, VC Artist Diyang Mei became the first Chinese musician to be given the position of Principal Viola with the Berlin Philharmonic.

Most recently, the orchestra posted on their social media, "Congratulations to Diyang Mei! We are very happy to announce that he has passed his probationary period. We welcome him as 1st principal viola and permanent member of the orchestra"

A previous first prize winner at the Markneukirchen, Max Rostal, Brahms, and ARD International Viola Competitions, he has held the position of 1st principal viola of the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra since the fall of 2019.

Born in Hunan in 1994, Mei studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing under Shaowu Wang, the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich under Hariolf Schlichtig, and continued his studies with Nobuko Imai at the Kronberg Academy.

He has performed as a soloist with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the SWR Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, among others. He has played with András Schiff, Vadim Gluzman, Günter Pichler, Gerhard Schulz, Ana Chumachenco, Sabine Meyer, Christoph Prégardien und Frans Helmerson among others.

His first solo-album “Transforming Viola” was released in 2019. In June 2022, His second album “Viola à L’Ecole de Paris” will be released, to which he is dedicated together with the German-pianist Oliver Triendl.

He plays a Antonio Mariani viola from 1646, on generous loan by a private collection.