Bo Li

cello

Cellist Bo Li is celebrated for his versatility as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and educator. A laureate of the Tchaikovsky International Competition in Moscow, he has earned awards from the Chinese Cultural Department and the Presser Foundation in the U.S. He also won top prizes at China’s National Cello Competition and the New England Conservatory Concerto Competition. Bo Li has performed internationally in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Tchaikovsky Hall, and Symphony Hall in Shanghai. He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony, Shanghai Symphony, and Wuhan Philharmonic, earning praise as an “eloquent soloist” from the Baltimore Sun. His performances have been featured on NPR, and he has recorded a solo album with Tian-Tian in Beijing, as well as chamber music albums with labels in Hong Kong and the U.S. As an active chamber musician, Bo Li has collaborated with leading artists worldwide. A dedicated educator, he has taught at international festivals and institutions and co-founded the Master Players Festival. He is a distinguished visiting professor at Wuhan Conservatory of Music. Since joining the Baltimore Symphony in 2000, Bo Li has performed at prestigious venues across Europe, Asia, and the United States. He has frequently appeared as a guest with other major orchestras in the U.S. and has served as a guest principal with the Singapore Symphony. In 2023, he founded the highly successful Lunar New Year Concert at the BSO, establishing it as a celebrated annual event and fostering new community connections and donor support. Born into a musical family in China, he received his early education at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music and the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In 1991, he came to the U.S. to pursue further study at Illinois State University and the New England Conservatory in Boston.