“One of the young prestigious conductors in the musical world”
Influenced by his mother, Li Xincao began to study music in early childhood. The solid musical education he received laid the foundation for his brilliant career. In 1994, he graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and was a student of Professor Xu Xin, a well-known conductor and educator in China. By the age of twenty, Li had successfully appeared with many famous domestic orchestras including the Central Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. With them, he performed the works of Mahler, Brahms, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, Silbelius and Dvorak. In addition, he also collaborated with faculty and students of the China Conservatory of Music and performed Verdi's opera La Traviata, and the Chinese opera, Champaign.
In November 1993, as one of the representatives of the Central Conservatory of Music, he won first prize at the First National Conducting Competition of China. In 1994, Li was appointed Principal Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the National Ballet of China. He has successfully conducted many Chinese and classical full length ballets including: Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, La Sylphide, Don Quixote, Coppelia and The Red Detachment of Women.
In 1996, at the invitation of renowned conductor Professor Leopold Hager, Li went to Austria to pursue his advanced studies at the Wiener Müsikhochschüle. In 1997, Li returned to China as Mr. Hager's assistant conductor for a performance with the Wiener Staats Oper. In the same year, he won second prize at the 45th Besancon International Conducting Competition held in France. In the fall of 1999, he toured Japan with the China National Symphony Orchestra for the "‘99 Tour to Japan", conducting with Maestro Zuohuang Chen, and achieved great success. In 2000, he was honored as “one of the 100 most promising and influential youths of China in the 21st century”.
As an active young conductor, Li Xincao has toured many cities in China and abroad. He has frequently collaborated with the National Orchestra de Lille, the Besancon Opera House, the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tivoli Orchestra, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, the Korean KBS Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and the Hong Kong Ballet. He has successfully conducted many operas including Madame Butterfly, Rigoletto, La Traviata, Aida and Tosca. At the end of 2002, Li Xincao conducted a successful CNSO tour in Japan, Australia and Europe.
In a series of concerts, he has shown his adaptability to different programs and his thorough understanding of different musical styles. He was praised especially for his excellent performances of German and Austrian works and the new works by Chinese contemporary composers. Li is currently the Principal Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra.