ABOUT

Minchao Cai is an emerging young conductor widely acclaimed for his infectious passion and profound interpretation of music. He is currently served as Residence Conductor of Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra. He has brought fresh perspectives and youthful vitality to the cultural life of Xiamen, a first level city in China, earning great admiration from audiences. He was a Conducting Fellow of Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra at 2023-24 season and he won the second prize in the 5th Bucharest International Conducting Competition at Romania, also received “the Orchestra Prize” by unanimous orchestra vote. Additionally, he won the first prize at the ICWC Conducting Competition. 

He has successfully collaborated with over 20 outstanding orchestras, including the Bucharest Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Festival Orchestra, Hungarian National Symphony Orchestra Szeged, Bacau State Philharmonic Orchestra Romania, Ploiesti Philharmonic Orchestra Romania, Evergreen Symphony Orchestra（Taiwan), China Youth Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Young Artists Orchestra and so on. The music media, Culture Voice North Carolina, praised “his ease on the podium and his popularity with the audience!”

As a young conductor, he has also received guidance from Paavo Jarvi, Gerard Schwarz, Roger Norington, Benjamin Zander, Jun Markl, John Alexrod, Maurizio Ciampi, Mark Gibson and so on.

Minchao Cai borned in China, and began studying piano and composition theory from a young age. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting at the Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, he studies under Maestro Arthur Fagen, Thomas Wilkins and Jeffery Meyer. At the same time, he serves as an Associate Instructor at Indiana University. He also holds his BM degree from the Conducting Department of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and MM degree for conducting from the New England Conservatory at Boston. He served as assistant conductor of China Youth Symphony Orchestra and be invited to be a member of China Conducting Association when he was a student. Starting from 2024, he joined Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra as the residence conductor.

Beyond the podium, Minchao is passionate about writing and sharing his thoughts. He was invited by one of China’s most renowned music magazines,the Sound of Yellow River, to publish articles, including topics like ‘The Humanistic Qualities of a Conductor’.