George Li — Piano

Praised by The Washington Post for combining “staggering technical prowess, a sense of command and depth of expression,” pianist George Li possesses an effortless grace, poised authority, and brilliant virtuosity far beyond his years. Since winning the Silver Medal at the 2015 International Tchaikovsky Competition, Li has rapidly established a major international reputation, performing with leading orchestras under such conductors as Gustavo Dudamel, Valery Gergiev, James Gaffigan, Pablo Heras-Casado, Manfred Honeck, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Vasily Petrenko, David Robertson, Leonard Slatkin, Michael Tilson Thomas, Long Yu, and Xian Zhang.

During his 2023–24 season, Li appeared in recital at the Grand Teton Music Festival, made his debut with the Aula Simfonia in Jakarta under Jahja Ling, and embarked on an extensive tour in China that included performances in Kunming, Beijing, and Shanghai. European engagements included recitals in Viersen, Baden, Elmau, and Stuttgart, and debuts with the Prague Philharmonia in Prague and Ljubljana. In the United States, he appeared with the Cincinnati and Milwaukee Symphonies, the Florida Orchestra, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and the Chicago Sinfonietta, and gave solo recitals across the country. A devoted chamber musician, he also returned to the ECHO Chamber Series in El Cajon with the Dover Quartet and to Davies Symphony Hall with violinist Stella Chen.

Li’s recent concerto appearances include performances with the Los Angeles, New York, London, Rotterdam, Oslo, St. Petersburg, and Buffalo Philharmonics; the San Francisco, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dallas, Tokyo, Frankfurt Radio, Sydney, Nashville, New Jersey, and Montreal Symphonies; as well as the Philharmonia, DSO Berlin, Orchestre National de Lyon, and the Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège. His recital appearances have taken him to Carnegie Hall, Davies Symphony Hall, Symphony Center Chicago, the Mariinsky Theatre, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, Munich’s Gasteig, the Louvre, Seoul Arts Center, Tokyo’s Asahi Hall, Beijing’s NCPA, and Shanghai’s Poly Theater. He has also appeared at major international festivals including Edinburgh, Verbier, Ravinia, Aix-en-Provence, and Montreux.

An exclusive Warner Classics recording artist, Li released his debut recital album, recorded live at the Mariinsky, in 2017. His second album, featuring Liszt’s solo works and Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with Vasily Petrenko and the London Philharmonic, appeared in 2019. His third Warner Classics release—featuring works by Schumann, Ravel, and Stravinsky—is forthcoming in 2024.

Li gave his first public performance at Boston’s Steinway Hall at age ten and performed for President Obama at the White House in 2011. He is a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant (2016), the Gilmore Young Artist Award (2012), and the First Prize at the 2010 Young Concert Artists International Auditions. A graduate of the Harvard/New England Conservatory dual degree program, Li holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Harvard and a master’s degree in music from NEC, where he later completed his Artist Diploma in 2022. When not performing, he is an avid reader, photographer, and sports enthusiast.