George Li performs with Irina Muresanu on YouTube
Fourteen year old pianist George Li was hailed as a “piano virtuoso” with “a talent and technique somewhat larger than this solar system” by the Worcester (MA) Telegram and Gazette after his “truly amazing” performance of the Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 with Symphony Pro Musica.
Having performed publicly since he was nine years old, Li is gaining attention as a significant recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestra. Li has appeared at the opening ceremony of Boston’s new Institute of Contemporary Art, at the inauguration of President Tony Woodcock at New England Conservatory, and at Boston’s Steinway Hall. He also played at New York’s Carnegie Hall in the new TV series produced by the popular NPR radio show, From the Top. In addition, he has been featured on WBZ-TV’s Liz Walker Show and ABC’s Martha Stewart Show. Li is invited to perform in the 2010 series under the "Prodigies and Masters of Tomorrow" by the Miami International Piano Festival.
As an active chamber musician, Li is the pianist of New England Conservatory’s Vivace Trio. Coached by Laura Blustein of NEC’s Preparatory School, the Trio has performed on From the Top’s radio series and at the Conservatory’s annual gala, Feast of Music. The ensemble also performed for members of US Congress at Senate Office Building, Washington D.C.
Li has appeared as soloist with the Xiamen Philharmonic (Xiamen, China, Tao Lin conductor), Symphony Pro Musica (Mark Churchill conductor), Simon Bolivar Youth Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela (Sarah Ioannides conductor), Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (Benjamin Zander, conductor), the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra (Arcady Leytush conductor), the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra (Sarah Ioannides conductor), the Miami Symphony Orchestra (Eduardo Marturet conductor), and Waltham Symphony Orchestra (Patrick Botti conductor), Li is invited to perform with the Nordic Chamber Orchestra Sweden (Sundsvall, Sweden, Christian Lindberg Conductor), the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (Benjamin Zander, conductor) and the Albany Symphony Orchestra (David Alan Miller Conductor) in the 2009 - 2010 concert season.
Li won first prizes in MMTA piano competition at the age of 6 and 7. Li won second prizes in both the Virginia Waring international Piano competition and the Cincinnati World Piano Competition at the age of nine. In 2008, Li won the second prize in the Gina Bachauer International Piano Junior Artist Competition.
Li studies piano from Wha Kyung Byun at the New England Conservatory, where he pursues music studies, taking classes such as chamber music, composition, music theory and piano seminar. Li’s music mentor is Mr. Mark Churchill. Li began studying piano at four with Dorothy Shi for seven years. Li also studied with Mr. Chengzong Yin for three years. Li lives with his family in Lexington, Massachusetts and attends the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick. Li is an active fan of the Boston Red Sox.
Video of George practicing at home (AVI, 5.6 MB)
