Chen Yun was born in a doctor’s family; he started to study the violin at the age of four with Zheng Rihua.   After enrolled by  the Central Conservatory of Music  in 1978, he has followed Professor Lin Yaoji. Graduating  from  the Conservatory with excellent marks, he became a faculty member in 1982.
In 1981, he played as the lead of his string quartet and his ensemble has won the frst prize in the national string quartet trial; in the following year they have won the Yehudi Menuhin Award at the Second String Quartet Competition held in Portsmouth, UK. In 1983, Mr. Chen has won the scholarship granted by Australian government, and pursued his  further study at Sydney Conservatory of Music, following Prof. Hery Curby.
In 1985, returning to China, Mr. Chen was appointed as the concert master of the newly found China Youth Symphony Orchestra and a faculty at the Teaching and Research Section for Chamber Music of  the Orchestral Department of the Central Conservatory of Music. He has successively visited Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France, U.K., Poland and former Soviet Union in the year between 1986 through 1987; among these touring concerts, he has appeared in the celebrating concert for the 750 years’ Anniversary of the founding of Berlin.
In 1986, Mr. Chen has won Shen Xingong Award. In 1989, he has become a member of Singapore Symphony Orchestra, later he was appointed as the Associated Principal, Assistant Principal and the principal of string quartet. In 1994, he became the concert master of the Principal Orchestra of Beijing Concert Hal. In 1996, he was nominated as the concert master and the artistic director of the Macao Orchestra.
Mr. Chen has been the professor of the Orchestral Department of the Central Conservatory and the director of Chamber Music and Orchestral Teaching and Research Section in 2006.
Mr. Chen Yun is now the concert master of the China Philharmonic Orchestra.