The Senator Larry D. Dixon Cello Fellow
Jiaoyang Xu
Cellist Jiaoyang Xu is frequently lauded for her passion, excellent technical skill, intelligence, and musical imagination. Growing up in China and having been studying in the US, Jiaoyang has begun to see the differences in the music industry in both countries. Through this realization, Jiaoyang has shifted her mentality both as a performer and as a teacher so that she could not only incorporate and deliver those learned knowledge but also convey her focus of presenting the diversity of and the joy and satisfaction from listening to classical music that draw her into it when she was little.
As an experienced cellist, Jiaoyang has given numerous solo recitals in the United States, Europe and in China. She has performed in The Beijing Concert Hall and The Art Salon of Crown Plaza in Beijing, China. In the US, Jiaoyang has played in several venues, such as Kennedy Center in Washington District, Coolidge Auditorium in the Library of Congress, Miriam A. Friedberg Concert Hall at Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. While presented herself in some big venues, Jiaoyang also fell into playing in smaller settings, especially in senior homes and living rooms, where the performer-audience relationship becomes much closer that creates some unforgettable magical moments during the performance. Several music festivals Ms. Xu has been presented, provided such experiences, including the Manchester Summer Chamber Music, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Heifetz International Music Institute.
With the love and passion for chamber music, Jiaoyang Xu has not only studied with many well-known chamber groups and teachers but also collaborated and performed with them. She has been coached by renowned chamber musicians such as Lawrence Dutton, Yael Weiss, Arianna String Quartet, Ariel Quartet, Chiara String Quartet, the Shanghai Quartet, Borromeo String Quartet, the Brentano String Quartet, and Ying Quartet. As an avid chamber musician, Ms. Xu has shared the stage with Ani Schnarch, Tatjana Masurenko, Steven Doane, Rosemary Elliott, cellist Michael Kannen, Alan Stepansky, Alison Wells, James Smith and Kurt Muroki. She is currently a member in the Amit Peled Cello Gang and has been touring with the group since 2017.
After studied in the states for a couple of years, Jiaoyang has grew much more interests in teaching. During her study at Peabody, Ms. Xu not only received more insight about teaching but, more importantly, found her passion and gradually developed her philosophy in teaching. While studying at Peabody, Ms. Xu has also become the cello instruction at the ARTI-ST Music Education Center in Maryland and been nominated by Professor Amit Peled as an assistant for the “First Hour” scale class in his studio at Peabody Institute. Although, the pandemic has altered the norms, Jiaoyang did not stop teaching and began to teach online, which offered her the possibility to reach out to and teach students all around the world. While pursuing her doctoral degree, Jiaoyang was pointed to be serve as faculty associate to teach cello minor students from Johns Hopkins University.
Born in China in 1992, Jiaoyang Xu began her study of cello at the age of five. She gave her first performance when she was six in Beijing. In September 2003, Jiaoyang got accepted into the middle school of the Central Conservatory of Music where she studied with Professor Yuan Chen and Zhiwen Situ. As a scholarship student at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, Ms. Xu studied with Professor Amit Peled and obtained both Bachelor of Music Degree and Master of Music in Cello Performance and Pedagogy. Ms. Xu studied with Mr. Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory as a Dean’s Scholarship recipient. She is currently pursuing the Doctoral student at Peabody Institute and a recipient of the George Piatigorsky Scholarship.
