One of the most important Sheng players of our time, Wu Wei is a pioneering figure who has introduced this traditional Chinese instrument, with a history spanning over 3,000 years, onto the international contemporary music stage. Having previously served as a Distinguished Professor of Sheng at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and a visiting professor at Minzu University of China, he is currently a professor in the World Music Department at SRH Berlin University of Applied Sciences. Through his exceptional musicianship, extraordinary creativity, and artistic practice spanning cultural and stylistic boundaries, he has redefined the possibilities of Sheng in 21st-century music.
Wu Wei is active across a diverse range of genres, including contemporary music, symphonic music, chamber music, jazz, electronic music, and Baroque music. He maintains long-standing collaborations with leading international composers, such as Unsuk Chin, Huang Ruo, Jukka Tiensuu, Bernd Richard Deutsch, and Enjott Schneider, and has been deeply involved in the creation and world premieres of numerous new works.
In addition, Wu Wei has been invited to collaborate with leading ensembles and institutions around the world, such as the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, NDR Bigband, and the Dutch Baroque Orchestra. He has also appeared regularly on major international stages, including the BBC Proms, Lucerne Festival, and Suntory Hall Summer Festival in Tokyo.
His recordings have likewise garnered significant international acclaim. His recording of Unsuk Chin’s Three Concertos, released by Deutsche Grammophon, won both the BBC Music Magazine Award and the International Classical Music Award (ICMA) in 2014. His album Pur ti miro, released by ECM Records in 2026, not only won the 2026 OPUS KLASSIK award but also received widespread critical acclaim from leading media outlets.
