Xue, Suli 薛苏里

Contact Information
Adjunct Professor of Strings/Harp
USC Thornton School of Music
Instruments/Expertise: Strings
Office: RHM 112
Phone: (213) 740-7704
E-mail: sulixue@usc.edu

One of the most outstanding Chinese-American violinists, Suli Xue enjoys an active career on today’s international music stage. A member of Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, a professor of violin in the Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California, and the former concertmaster of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China, Suli Xue has earned high acclaim and recognition for his unique artistry.
 
Born in a musical family in Harbin, China, Suli Xue started his violin study with his father, composer and violin professor Chengqian Xue. He has also studied with the conductor Ming Lee Cheuk and the violinist Zhongguo Sheng. In 1978, Suli Xue was accepted by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to study violin with Professor Lixun Dou as well as the vice president of the conservatory, Professor Shuzhen Tan. After graduating in 1982, Suli Xue was selected by the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China (presently, the China National Symphony Orchestra). As a soloist of the Solo Artist Group of the orchestra, he toured throughout China and performed frequently on radio and television by national broadcast. His performances brought him a wide range of enthusiastic audiences.
 
Appointed by the highly respected conductor in China and the artistic director of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra, Delun Li, Suli Xue became the youngest concertmaster of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra in 1984.
 
In 1986, Suli Xue was admitted by the Thornton School of Music at University of Southern California with a full scholarship, where he studied violin with the internationally renowned professor Alice Schoenfeld. During his study at USC, he was frequently invited to international music festivals, participating for solo and chamber music concerts in the United States and Canada, including the Tanglewood Music Center Festival, the Grand Teton Music Festival, and the Orford Centre d’Arts Festival. Suli Xue actively participates with numerous orchestras as a soloist to perform concertos including Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich and Wieniawski, receiving high praise from the public. He has also been frequently invited by the American String Teachers Association and the Young Musician Foundation to serve as judge for music competitions.
 
In 1990, Suli Xue joined San Diego Symphony Orchestra after graduating from USC. In 1992, he was selected to be a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Suli Xue also joined the faculty of the Thornton School of Music, becoming the first Asian-born professor of violin at USC.
 
In 1998, Suli Xue founded the Pacific Harmony String Quartet. Their CD album “The Melodies of the Far East,” has been highly recognized and broadcast by over 50 well-known radio and TV stations in United States. In 2002, the Pacific Harmony String Quartet made its first appearance in the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra Chamber Music Concert series. They have been invited to give concerts in many cities in the United States and Europe and have received enthusiastic acclaim.
 
In 2006, Suli Xue was invited as a featured soloist to perform in the China Central Television national broadcast “Concert Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Shostakovich” and played the Shostakovich violin concerto No.1 in A minor with the China National Symphony Orchestra in Beijing Concert Hall, which received critical acclaim.
 
In January 2008, Suli Xue released two CD albums, “Melodies of China” and “Golden Melodies,” by Guang Zhou Beauty Culture Communication Company and USA Hollywood Eastwest Entertainment. The albums were received with extraordinary praise and popularity in China as well as internationally.
 
Suli Xue’s performance presents a mastery of technique, beauty of the tone quality, and artistic sensitivity. His music demonstrates a great combination of passion, elegance, and virtuosity. The great violinist Yehudi Menuhin repeatedly praised his playing as “an incredible and marvelous performance.”