Zhiwei Ni studied at the Interlochen Academy of the Arts with Emil Khudyev and at the Colburn School with Yehuda Gilad. He is currently a student at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. He has won First Prize at the China-Spain Clarinet, Violin and Flute Competition (2021) and at the Rising Star Berlin International Music Competition (2021), taking Second Prize at the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition. Zhiwei has appeared with the National Youth Orchestra of China both domestically and on two European tours (playing in London and Berlin) and given a solo recital in Qingdao, China, where he won First Prize in the China Clarinet Competition. He started playing the clarinet at the age of nine, studying with Lei Fan.