Chinese-born British conductor Chloe Lu Ye has been awarded the Sir Charles Mackerras Junior Fellowship in Conducting at Trinity Laban, a prestigious programme supporting early-career conductors to develop their artistic practice and professional careers.
The Sir Charles Mackerras Junior Fellowship in Conducting is designed to enable aspiring young conductors to bridge the gap between full-time conservatoire-based study and the music profession. The opportunity provides them with the means and time to develop their professional skills and contacts whilst continuing their development with the support of a Trinity Laban mentor.
Chloe began playing the cello at the age of seven, before studying for a bachelor’s degree in music at the University of Birmingham and a master’s degree in Conducting at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she studied with Martyn Brabbins. Chloe assisted Brabbins and the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in the orchestra’s final concerts of the 2025-2026 season, and on the recording of Tobias Broström’s Rubedo – The Red Chapter.
Chloe has conducted the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Opera Orchestra in masterclasses during her studies, and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in their Young Conductors Showcase. She is also Assistant Conductor of the Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Youth Orchestra. She has worked as Assistant Conductor with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, and also collaborated with several composers to premiere and record new compositions, including a new contemporary opera. In 2025, she was awarded a scholarship by the Richard Wagner Scholarship Foundation to attend the Bayreuth Festival as part of its Young Artists Scheme.
Chloe said: “I am delighted to be taking up the Sir Charles Mackerras Junior Fellowship at Trinity Laban. The breadth of artistic creativity that is promoted by the conservatoire is something that I am excited to get involved with, and I believe that this is the perfect environment to support the early stages of my career as a conductor. I am looking forward to immersing myself in all aspects of the conservatoire, in particular the collaboration between artistic disciplines, and how this will contribute to the development of my craft as a musician.”
Jonathan Tilbrook, Head of Orchestral Studies, commented on the appointment: “I am delighted to welcome Chloe Lu Ye to Trinity Laban as the next Mackerras Junior Fellow in Conducting. She is an exciting and enterprising young musician who will relish the opportunities the Fellowship brings and the cultural life of Trinity Laban. We will all look forward to working with her in the coming academic year.”