Praised for displaying “great poise and masterful technique” and possessing “an amazing rich tone” by ​The Day, cellist ​Yi Qun Xu has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician across the United States. A native of China, Yi Qun was mesmerized by the cello soon after her eighth birthday. She came to the U.S. after studying with Yuan Chen and Yi-Bing Chu at China’s Central Conservatory of Music, where she won multiple top prizes in Chinese national cello competitions. 

Yi Qun is the recipient of the 2022 Presser Music Award as well as the first-prize winner of the 2021 New York International Artists Cello Competition. As the winner of the 2018 Sanders-Juilliard-Tel Aviv Museum prize, she was presented in recital at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art in Israel. She is also the first prize winner at the 58th Eastern Connecticut Symphony Instrumental Competition as well as the 7th International Antonio Janigro Competition in Croatia.

As a passionate chamber musician, she has been heard at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Cellists of Lincoln Center Concert and the prestigious Marlboro Music Festival. Yi Qun has been an active participant of the inspirational Perlman Music Program, founded Toby and Itzhak Perlman. She has also been part of music festivals such as Heifetz International Music Institute, International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove, Kneisel Hall Music Festival, Music@Menlo, the Olympic Music Festival, and Piatigorsky International Cello Festival. She has collaborated with artists including Itzhak Perlman, Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, Hsin-Yun Huang, Carter Brey, Timothy Eddy, David Finckel, Ralph Kirshbaum, Merry Peckham, and members of the Cleveland, Juilliard, Tokyo, Ébène Quartets. Her performances are featured on Alec Baldwin’s podcast “Here is the Thing” and WQXR’s “Midday Masterpieces.” Yi Qun will be joining the Musicians from Marlboro tour (2021-2022 and 2022-2023 seasons). 

A protégé of Timothy Eddy, Ronald Leonard, Laurence Lesser, and Joel Krosnick. She holds a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in Cello Performance from The Juilliard School, where she also received Bachelor's and Master’s degrees as a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship. She has taught cello master classes at Boston Conservatory, University of North Dakota, Bak Middle School for the Arts and Saco River Theatre. She has worked with chamber music groups at Interlochen Arts Center Adult Music Camp, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival’s Adult Chamber Music Institute and ArtsAhimsa Music Festival. She has performed for community engagement events for communities in Los Angeles, Maine, New York City, New Hampshire, Palm Beach, Shelter Island, Tianjin, Beijing, and Shanghai in China.

Yi Qun is a faculty member of the The Juilliard School Pre-College and Music Advancement Program (MAP) as well as the Assistant Professor at University of Texas San Antonio. Yi Qun also serves as Teaching Assistant to Joel Krosnick, Chair of the Cello Department at The Juilliard School. Yi Qun is also on faculty at the Perlman Music Program Winter Residency and Heifetz International Music Institute’s Junior Program. She is the founding co-Artistic Director of Noree Chamber Soloists, a New York-based chamber music ensemble.