Born in Tianjin, Shen Yang studied at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In June 2007, as the youngest participant, Shen Yang won the gold medal in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, one of the top-level vocal competitions in the world. In 2008, he won the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award in London, UK. In June 2010 in St. Petersburg, Russia, he won the Montblanc New Voices award at Stars of the White Nights at the Mariinsky Theatre presented by notable Russian conductor Valery Gergiev. He also won first prize for his role in the Masetto Don Giovanni at the International Opera Competition in Verona, Italy, first prize at the Rheinsberg opera competition in Germany, and first prize at the Verona L’Orfeo signing competition in Italy. As a concert singer with rich performance and artistic experience at concerts and recitals, he has worked with some of the greatest conductors in the world today. Yang is also an active photographer and writer who works as a full-time artist, not simply as a singer.