Praised by The Day for her “great poise and masterful technique” and “an amazingly rich tone,” cellist Yi Qun Xu has distinguished herself as both a soloist and chamber musician, performing extensively throughout the United States. A native of China, she began her studies on the cello shortly after her eighth birthday and was later mentored by Yuan Chen and Yi-Bing Chu at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where she garnered numerous top prizes in national competitions.

A recipient of the 2022 Presser Music Award and First Prize Winner of the 2021 New York International Artists Cello Competition, Yi Qun has received multiple honors throughout her career. These include the Sanders-Juilliard–Tel Aviv Museum Prize, resulting in a recital at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art; First Prize at the 58th Eastern Connecticut Symphony Instrumental Competition; and top honors at the 7th International Antonio Janigro Cello Competition in Croatia.

An ardent and accomplished chamber musician, Yi Qun has performed at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Cellists of Lincoln Center series and has been a featured artist at the Marlboro Music Festival, subsequently joining the Musicians from Marlboro national tours during the 2021–2022 and 2022–2023 seasons. She has participated in leading music festivals such as the Perlman Music Program, Heifetz International Music Institute, Music@Menlo, International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove, Kneisel Hall, Olympic Music Festival, and the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival.

Yi Qun has collaborated with many of today’s most revered artists, including Itzhak Perlman, Ani and Ida Kavafian, Hsin-Yun Huang, Carter Brey, Timothy Eddy, David Finckel, Ralph Kirshbaum, Merry Peckham, and members of the Cleveland, Emerson, Juilliard, Tokyo, and Ébène Quartets. Her performances have been featured on WQXR’s Midday Masterpieces and Here’s the Thing, the acclaimed podcast hosted by Alec Baldwin.

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School, where she also earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as a distinguished Kovner Fellow. Her principal mentors include Joel Krosnick, Timothy Eddy, Ronald Leonard, and Laurence Lesser.

Deeply committed to education and artistic leadership, Yi Qun serves on the faculties of The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division and Music Advancement Program, the Perlman Music Program, and the Heifetz International Music Institute. She is currently the Teaching Assistant to Darrett Adkins at Juilliard and has previously held appointments as Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio and Teaching Assistant to the late Joel Krosnick. She has presented master classes at institutions including the Boston Conservatory, University of North Dakota, and Interlochen Arts Center.

A passionate advocate for community engagement, Yi Qun has performed for diverse audiences across the United States and China. She is also the Founding Co-Artistic Director of Noree Chamber Soloists, a New York–based ensemble devoted to fostering access to high-caliber chamber music through performance, education, and outreach.