Tongtong Lei is a violinist whose artistry and expressiveness resonate across concert halls and competitions alike. A rising star, she is poised to make her American debut at Weill Hall, Carnegie Hall, adding to her growing legacy as a soloist of exceptional skill and musical depth. Her triumphs in prestigious international competitions underscore her remarkable talent: victories at the 2024 International Artists Competition, the 2024 New York International Music Competition, and the 2024 Beethoven Young Musician Competition mark just the latest in a series of accolades. Earlier honors include top prizes at the 2023 International Mozart Competition Vienna, the 2022 AMIGDALA International Music Competition (memorial “G. Raciti”), and the 2020 Alexander & Buono International String Competition, to name a few. These awards, spanning from the 2017 American Protégé International Competition to the 2019 China Qingdao Cosmopolitan Exposition International Classical Music Competition, reflect her evolution as a musician of extraordinary promise.

Beyond the solo stage, Lei has cultivated a vibrant career as a chamber musician and orchestral performer. Her collaborations with world-renowned artists such as Lang Lang, Joshua Bell, Ludovic Morlot, Giancarlo Guerrero, and Garrick Ohlsson have furthered her artistic development and garnered her critical acclaim. As a member of the China Youth Philharmonic, the China Chamber Music Conference, the NEC Philharmonic, and Juilliard ChamberFest, Lei’s performances have been hailed for their expressive depth and technical precision. Her chamber repertoire—featuring works such as Eric Ewazen’s Trio for Trumpet, Violin, and Piano, Penderecki’s Sextet, and Piazzolla’s History of Tango—has captivated audiences with its rich variety and virtuosic flair.

Lei’s performances have taken her to some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, Berlin Konzerthaus, Snape Maltings Concert Hall, and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. She has also graced the stages of the Fondazione Teatro Comunale, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the National Centre for the  Performing Arts in Beijing, performing for audiences that range from intimate gatherings to grand, international festivals. Her festival engagements reflect the breadth of her musical journey: she has been a participant at the Taipei Music Academy Festival, the National Youth Orchestra-China Festival, the International Mozarteum Summer Academy, and the Bravo! International Music Academy.

Born in China, Lei’s musical journey began at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She later earned her Bachelor of Music at the New England Conservatory under the mentorship of Paul Biss, followed by a Master of Music from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Lewis Kaplan. She is currently pursuing a Performance Diploma at Southern Methodist University, working with the esteemed Alexander Sitkovetsky. Her musical growth has been further nurtured in master classes with renowned violinists such as Angelo Xiang Yu, Nancy Zhou, Frank Huang, Stefan Jackiw, Soovin Kim, and Shamuel Ashkenazi, whose praise for her musicality and technical command reflects her commitment to constant artistic refinement. With each performance, Lei continues to captivate audiences and critics alike, leaving an indelible impression as a violinist whose future in the classical world shines ever brighter.