Quartet
Our Member
This was spirited finely judged and stunning playing from a rising star,” “Virtuoso performance,” “Finely spun violin sound rising shoulder-high.”
Shuwei has worked with some of the world's top orchestras and ensembles, including the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Royal Opera House, Britten Sinfonia, Manchester Camerata, Manchester Collective, and is currently working at SinfoniaSmith Square. Shinwei enjoys collaboration and chamber music and has offered numerous solo, trio, and quartet concerts and recordings in York, Leeds, Haslemere, London, and Manchester.
She embarked on her musical journey at the age of 5 and attended a music specialist school. She took part in a tour in Taiwan with the China Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2012. In 2014, she successfully gained a place at the Central Conservatory of Music, studying with Jia Zhang, Liwei Tan, and Wei Xue. In the same year, she participated in the New York Summit Festival, where she was highly commended by legendary violinist Aaron Rosand, with whom she had lessons.
She moved to the UK to undertake her Master's degree at the Royal Academy of Music in 2018. She also won first prize in the Hummingbird Music Competition with her trio and was invited to hold chamber concerts in Peking University, Yantai, Wuxi, and many other cities.She is currently studying at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire on the Advanced Postgraduate Diploma with a scholarship soon after she received distinction graduation from Royal Northern College of Music.
Chinese violinist Yuwen Fan began studying the violin at the age of four under Wang Baihong before continuing his training with Spanish violinist Marc Amengol. In 2018, he was admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Associate Professor Geng Liu and received chamber music coaching from professors Jensen Lam and Yuan Zhang. During his studies, he was consistently awarded scholarships in recognition of his achievements.
In 2022, Yuwen gained a place at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana for his Master’s degree, studying with renowned Italian violinist Massimo Quarta. He also received chamber music coaching from professors such as Pavel Berman, Saiko Sasaki, and Yuval Gottlieb Wich. In 2024, he moved to the UK to undertake an Artist Diploma at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he studies with Nathaniel Vallois and Jiafeng Chen.
Throughout his studies, Yuwen has received guidance and widespread acclaim from distinguished musicians, including Shlomo Mintz, James Ehnes, and Tasmin Little. As a soloist and chamber musician, he has performed extensively across Europe and Asia. At the age of 11, he was invited to give a solo recital in Taiwan. In 2021, he performed The Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto with the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra. His solo recitals in Switzerland, Italy, and the UK have been met with high praise.
Jinhe Huang is an accomplished violist and a fourth-year undergraduate student at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. His musical journey began in 2016 at the Affiliated Middle School of the Xinghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied under the esteemed Professor Donglei Hou. During his early years, he gained valuable performance experience with the Xinghai Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, performing in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
Jinhe first garnered recognition in 2014 when he secured third place in the B2-3 category of the Hong Kong International String Competition. He continued to build his competitive portfolio with distinguished performances in Russia in 2018 and Belgium in 2019.
In 2021, Jinhe was awarded a prestigious scholarship to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, where he has studied with Gary Pomeroy, Lucy Nolan, and, in his final year, Elliot Perks. As a testament to his leadership and musicianship, he has served as principal violist for both the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Orchestra and the Conservatoire's Opera Company, performing on prominent stages in Birmingham and London.
In 2024, Jinhe further expanded his repertoire by performing with the Birmingham Royal Ballet. He also had the opportunity to play chamber music alongside distinguished musicians such as Caroline Pether, Tim Smedley, and Bradley Creswick, an experience that greatly enriched his musical development. Internationally, he has participated in music festivals across South Korea, the United States, and Austria.
Hailing from Chengdu, China, Gen is pursuing a Master of Music at Royal Birmingham Conservatoire under the guidance of Eduardo Vassallo, Nicholas Trygstad and Ben Davies, and Baroque cello with Nicholas Stringfellow and Imogen Seth-Smith. Prior to this, he earned his BMus with First Class Honours on a full scholarship, having studied with renowned cellists Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber.
Throughout his time in the UK, Gen has been the recipient of several awards. These include the Ambache Prize for performance of woman composers in 2025, the Musician’s Union Bill Warman Award and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Strings Prize in 2024. In 2023, he was honoured with the Musicians’ Company Award and invited to join their Young Artist Program for a five-year term. Gen's other accolades include the Leamington Music Prize in 2023, first prize in the London Young Musician Competition in 2021, and the Sylvia Cleaver Chamber Music Prize in 2019, 2020, and 2024. Additionally, he won first prize in the Boccherini Cello Sonata Competition in 2019 at RBC.
As an enthusiastic orchestral musician, Gen has been part of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra’s Training Scheme since 2023 and participated in the Orpheus Sinfonia Foundation Program for the 2023-2024 season. Beginning in September 2024, he will be leading the cello section of the Birmingham Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also been offered a place in the Royal Opera House Mentorship Scheme and Birmingham Royal Ballet scheme this year.Gen’s studies and musical pursuits have been generously supported by the Tillett/Colin Keer Trust, the Musicians’ Company, Help Musicians, and an RBC Scholarship. He is privileged to play on a Pierre Silvestre cello, built in Lyon in 1848, kindly loaned by Mr. Geoff Denyer, chairman of the British Violin Making Association.Gen is also very passionate about teaching and holds cello teacher position at Rugby School.
