Li Biao is one of the few artists who have a successful two-pronged career as a conductor and music virtuoso. He first took up the baton on the world music stage in 2011, and soon grew in prominence. He has been inspired and supported by maestros Christoph Eschenbach and Lawrence Foster along the way.
In 2019, Li was appointed Principal Conductor of the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra. The year before, he had given successful concerts with the Orchestra of the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin in Germany, the Suzhou Symphony Orchestra and the Tianjin Symphony Orchestra in China, as well as concerts with other international symphony orchestras. Among his work in the season 2017 were concerts with the National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia at the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in Moscow in October; MOYSA (TCH Youth Symphony Orchestra of Thessaloniki) at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall in Greece, and the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Orchestra in the Novosibirsk Philharmonic Hall of Russia in December, before leading the latter on its first China tour shortly afterwards.
The 2016/17 season saw Li reprising his collaboration with the Marseilles Opera Orchestra in France, an acclaimed debut with the Theater Orchester Biel Solothurn of Switzerland, and the Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava of the Czech Republic, as well as leading the National Philharmonic of Russia on its first China tour at the Concert Hall of the National Centre for the Performing Arts. In January 2017, Li conducted, for the very first time, the complete Beethoven symphony cycle with the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra, followed by touring with the orchestra in four cities in Germany to give New Year concerts.
In 2015 season, Li was appointed guest conductor of the Orchestra Dell’Opera Di Parma. The year before, he was appointed Music Director and Principal Conductor of China National Opera & Dance Drama Theatre Orchestra, and he also accomplished his first opera production, Aida, at China Opera Festival with the Opera Centre of Central Conservatory of Music. In 2013, as the first Chinese conductor to work with Filarmonica Arturo Toscanini, Li conducted the Orchestra at the opening ceremony of Verdi’s 200th Anniversary Music Festival and won rave reviews. This led to an invitation to take the Orchestra Dell’Opera Di Parma on a new year concert tour in five cities of China.
