Zeyu Li

Returning fellow Zeyu  joined the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in September 2019. Mr. Li was previously a member of the New York Philharmonic, which he joined at the age of 21, after graduating with a bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. His teachers have included Ida Kavafian, Aaron Rosand, and Pamela Frank. Mr. Li served as Associate Concertmaster of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, and performed at Carnegie Hall as an Assistant Concertmaster with the New York String Seminar Orchestra under Jamie Laredo. He also performed the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto as a soloist in Kimmel Center Verizon Hall with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Li was born in China in 1996 and began to play the violin at the age of four. At nine years old, he was accepted into the Shanghai Conservatory of Music middle school, and, at the age of 13, won First Prize at the China National Violin Competition. At the age of 14, Mr. Li was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music, one of the world’s top-ranked conservatories. Mr. Li’s prizes and accolades include First Prize at the 19th Schadt International Violin Competition, as well as the Contemporary Pieces Prize and Audience Prize; Third Prize at the 2013 Montreal International Violin Competition; Special Jury Prize of Japan Sendai International Violin Competition; and First Prize in the junior division of the Greenfield Concerto Competition. Zeyu Victor Li has performed as a soloist with renowned orchestras including The Philadelphia Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, Shanghai Philharmonic, Sendai Philharmonic, Brevard Symphony, and Calgary Philharmonic, and has performed with many distinguished conductors including Maxim Vengerov, Tan Dun, Cristian Măcelaru, and Jamie Laredo.