Valentin Chong

Born in Erfurt, Germany, in 1999. Since 2022, he studies at the Reina Sofia School of Music’s Telefónica Violin Chair with professor Christoph Poppen. He has been granted scholarships by Crédit Agricole and Fundación Albéniz and plays with a Sielam Baroque violin bow loaned as an instrument scholarship by the latter.

He begun his studies in his native city and furthered them in Musikgymnasium Schloss Belvedere Weimar with professor Ursula Dehler, obtaining his degree in Music in the School of Music and Theatre in Munich under the guidance of professors Christoph Poppen and Lena Neudauer. He also studied in 2021-2022 in the Lübeck Conservatory with professor Heime Müller. Furthermore, he has attended masterclasses and courses by Ulrich Knörzer, Beate Hartmann, Liana Isakadze, Michael Dorner, Christian Sikorski, Ulf Tischbirek, Eckart Runge, Miriam Fried, Mihaela Martin as well as Krzysztof Chorzelski and Josep Puchades (chamber music), among others.

In addition to being awarded first prizes at the state and federal “Jugend musiziert” competitions, he has been a laureate in several editions of the Erfurt Chamber Music Competition.

As soloist, he has performed as concertmaster with the Erfurt Philharmony Orchestra and with the Erfurt and Turingia State Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also performed with the Belvedere Musikgymnasium Schloss Symphony, Munich Hochschulorchester and the Studentisches Orchester Baden-Württemberg. He also has wide experience in chamber music, participating in several quartets, trios and in the Lubos-Ensemble sextet.

As a student of the School, he has been a member of the Freixenet Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Juanjo Mena and Péter Csaba; Fundación EDP Camerata, conducted by Christoph Poppen and Paul Goodwin, and that of the Baroque Ensemble of the School, conducted by Paul Goodwin. He is currently part of the Stoneshield Quartet.