Born in Guangzhou, China, Elaine Qianru He is excited to join the first violin section of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for the 24/25 season. She is currently a doctoral candidate at Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Sheryl Staples and Todd Phillips, and she holds degrees from the Juilliard School where she studied with Catherine Cho and Lewis Kaplan.

Her recent awards include 1st Prize at the 2023 Naftzger Prize Audition, 2nd Prize at the 2023 Hellam Young Artists Competition where she also received the Stephen and Linda Paganini-Brite Award, and 2nd Prize at the Ann & Charles Eisemann International Competition. She has received fellowships to spend her summers in Verbier Festival, Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop, Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West and Morningside Music Bridge. She was also a participant at the DeLay-Starling Violin Symposium, IMS Masterclass at Prussia Cove and New York String Orchestra Seminar. To her passion of chamber music, Elaine has performed in Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players concert series, and Orpheus Reflections that brings the healing power of music to people living with Alzheimer’s disease.

In her orchestral experience, Elaine has toured with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She has performed with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra regularly as Guest Principal 2nd, and with the New York Philharmonic as a substitute. She served as concertmaster at Verbier Festival Orchestra, MSM Symphony, and Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, as well as other principal positions and performed under the baton of Maestro Zubin Mehta, Sir Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Daniele Gatti and Vasily Petrenko.