Xuan Shirley Yao

Violinist/China

Xuan Yao began to learn violin at age four, studying from 2004-2010 with Weijian Tang in the middle school of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. While in Beijing, Xuan was actively performing as soloist, in string quartets, piano trio and was an assistant concertmaster of the Chinese Youth Symphony Orchestra. In 2010, Xuan was accepted to Temple University in Philadelphia on a full scholarship to study with Professor Eduard Schmieder in his select international violin class at Boyer College in the Center of Performing Arts; she received Bachelor degree in 2015 and Master degree in 2017. A recipient of the Garrigues Scholarship, as DMA student at Temple University, Xuan has been a teaching assistant in Professor Schmieder’s studio. While in Philadelphia, she performs actively as a chamber and orchestral musician. Xuan is a prize-winner of national competitions in her native China including First Prize of the Hunan Province Soloist Competition in 2002, First Prize of the Chinese Junior New Artist competition, and Grand Prize of the Changsha Soloist competition (2003). In the USA, she received 2nd prize in Pi Kappa Lambda Competition in 2017 and won a First Prize at the Young Talents World Festival of Performing Arts in 2018. Xuan has been performing in numerous international music festivals, including at the Mozarteum Salzburg and the Summit Music Festival in New York. In May 2022, Xuan received her Doctor of Musical Arts Diploma. This is her third season with iPalpiti.