Fang Xiaomu

Ms Fang Xiaomu has been the Co-Principal Cellist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra since 2008. Xiaomu has enjoyed working with some of the world’s leading conductors, including Jaap van Zweden, Edo de Waart, Christoph Eschenbach, Paavo Järvi, Lorin Maazel, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Leonard Slatkin, Charles Dutoit, and David Zinman. She has also worked with top soloists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Maxim Vengerov, Evgeny Kissin, Lang Lang, Ray Chen, Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Sumi Jo, and Renée Fleming. Xiaomu has toured with different orchestras in many countries, including Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Croatia, the US, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Singapore, and Japan.

Ms Fang has been presented as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra under the Baton of Maestro Jaap van Zweden, the China Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, as well as the USC Symphony under the baton of Maestro Sergiu Comissiona. Ms Fang has been invited to give solo recitals repeatedly at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center in New York.

Ms Fang graduated from The Juilliard School on full scholarship, studying with the legendary cello master Harvey Shapiro. She was the Principal Cellist of both The Juilliard Symphony and The Juilliard Opera Orchestra. Ms Fang has won 13 first prizes in the United States and international competitions, including the prestigious Artists International Presentation’s Solo Competition, the American String Teachers’ Association Solo Competition, and the Five Towns Music String Competition in New York. An active chamber musician, she has performed frequently at the Lincoln Center in New York, Hong Kong, and Mainland China with her piano trio and string quartet. The New York State Assembly of the United States awarded Ms Fang the “Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Culture Award” for her extraordinary talent and contribution to the music world. She was the first Asian musician to receive this award.

Ms Fang has been invited to be a cello jury member in numerous international competitions, including the Schoenfeld International String Competition, the Concours International de Musique de Versailles France Compétition, the Premia International Competition, the Hong Kong International Music Festival Competition, the Hong Kong Music Talent Award Competition, the Belt and Road International Talent Show Competition, as well as the Hong Kong International Music & Arts Festival Competition.

In addition to her full-time role with the HK Phil, Xiaomu is also a sought-after teacher. She has been invited to give masterclasses in Hong Kong, the US, and Mainland China, including HK Phil’s “Keys to Music Education Programme” and the Montecito International Music Festival in the US. Ms Fang has been appointed the Artist Teacher of the Department of Music at Hong Kong Baptist University since 2011. Her students have won numerous awards in competitions in Hong Kong and internationally. Her students have been accepted to The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, and professional music schools in the UK and Germany.