Junhe Qiu, born in China, is a young musician who has studied and performed in both the U.S. and Europe. He is a violinist, chamber musician, and conductor.
He began learning the violin at a young age and pursued conducting as a secondary field of study. Graduated from the Music School attached to Xinghai Conservatory of Music, which is one of the top 3 music conservatories in China. In 2016, he was awarded the highest scholarship to study at the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati, where he also received the Starling Music Scholarship. In 2019, he continued his studies at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. In 2022, he was admitted to the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM), where he awarded the Recital Artist Diploma, becoming the first Chinese string player to receive this qualification since the academy’s founding in 1848.
His performance and musical activities span North America and Europe. He has participated in numerous prestigious music festivals, including the Bowdoin Music Festival in the U.S., the Midwest Composers Forum, and the Weimar Master Classes in Germany, Dublin Chamber Festival in Ireland .
In 2022, he served as the CO-Leader of the RIAM Philharmonic in Ireland. In 2023, he collaborated with conductor Dongke Tu to co-found the Intercontinental Experimental Orchestra (IEO), where he serves as concertmaster. During his career as orchestra performer, he had the opportunity to perform with renowned conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Mihhail Gerts, and Christoph Altstaedt.
In April 2023, he co-founded the Westland Trio with Naxos-signed pianist Professor Lance Coburn and young cellist Chen Ensheng. The trio successfully completed concert tours of China in 2023.
As a conductor, he has led multiple concerts in China and EU. He has been invited to conduct the Royal Irish Academy of Music Winds Ensemble and Chamber Choir for the 2024 and 2025 RIAM Asian Music Night at Dublin Whyte Recital Hall. He currently serves as the Principal Conductor of Irish Chinese Youth Choir.