Wu Tong

Biography

Wu Tong is a Chinese sheng player and singer from Beijing, of Manchu ethnicity. He began learning sheng and suona from his father at age five and later attended the Central Conservatory of Music. In 1991, he co-founded "Lun Hui" (轮回), China's first academic rock band, serving as lead vocalist known for his uniquely powerful voice. The band released four albums between 1995 and 2002. In 2000, he joined Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, performing on sheng and bawu across the United States, Germany, France, China, Korea, and other countries. He left Lun Hui in 2004 due to musical differences. He achieved major success by winning the Grammy Award for Best Classical Crossover Album at the 52nd Grammy Awards for "Yo-Yo Ma & Friends: Songs of Joy & Peace," and later won the Grammy for Best World Music Album at the 59th Grammy Awards for "Sing Me Home" with the Silk Road Ensemble. He has performed multiple times at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and participated in major events including the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.