Violist Xinyi Xu is actively engaged as an orchestral, chamber, and solo player.  She has participated in New York String Orchestra Seminar under the direction of Jamie Laredo, performing at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium in New York City during Christmas 2008 and 2009.  In 2010, Ms. Xu was invited to Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Salzau, Germany and toured with the orchestra academy throughout Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach, Ivan Fischer, Christopher Hogwood and David Geringas.  Ms. Xu participated in Aspen Music Festival and School as a fellowship recipient in summer 2011, studied with James Dunham and Jeffrey Irvine, and served as principal violist in the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen Orchestra.  

A prolific chamber musician, Ms. Xu had spent two summers in Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Blue Hill, Maine (2008 and 2009), and previously attended Morningside Music Bridge in Calgary, Canada (2005).  She has worked with many artist-teachers including Pamela Frank, Luis Garcia-Renart, Weigang Li, Cho-liang Lin, Ira Weller, Laurie Smuckler, George Sopkin, Steve Tenenbom, Roman Totenberg, Michael Tree, Peter Wiley, and others.  Ms. Xu served as principal violist of Bard Conservatory Orchestra in the Greater China Tour (2012) and appeared as a soloist with pianist Melvin Chen in Shanghai Grand Theater. She had performed in Bard’s “Music Alive!” series which featured music by living composers and directed by Joan Tower, with whom she studied composition. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from Bard College Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Arts degree in German studies from Bard College.  She is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree from Yale University’s School of Music under the tutelage of Ettore Causa.