HAORAN LI
Conductor
Biography
The Chinese conductor Haoran Li is one of today’s most exciting conductors of his generation, quickly gaining a reputation for his alert, charismatic, and dynamic musicianship. Known for his natural energy and strong musical presence, Li brings vitality and depth to his performances. He is the Principal Conductor of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra and was appointed Permanent Guest Conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre in June 2024. He has earned widespread recognition for his expressive interpretations and versatility across a broad range of repertoire.
In the 2022/23 season, Li made a notable debut with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, receiving high praise for his performance. He conducted the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra in a sold-out concert at Tchaikovsky Hall and later performed with Denis Matsuev and Aida Garifullina at the Moscow Philharmonic Hall in a globally broadcast concert with the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Li made his debut at the Royal Danish Opera and performed at the Verdi Festival in Parma with the Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also led the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of Theater für Niedersachsen, Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, Yakutsk Philharmonic Orchestra, and Moldova Philharmonic Orchestra.
During the 2023/24 season, Li continued his collaboration with the Mariinsky Theatre, conducting a variety of operas, including Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, Nabucco, Ariadne auf Naxos, Don Giovanni, and L’elisir d’amore. He also took part in the Stravinsky and Mariinsky Brass Festivals, leading performances of Strauss’s Alpine Symphony and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Additionally, Li made his debut with the Russian National Orchestra and conducted Tosca at the Krasnoyarsk Opera House. In China, he directed the Beijing Symphony Orchestra in several performances and maintained relationships with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra and Guiyang Symphony Orchestra.
Biography
The Chinese conductor Haoran Li (李昊冉) is one of today’s most exciting conductors of his generation, quickly gaining a reputation for his alert, charismatic, and dynamic musicianship. Known for his natural energy and strong musical presence, Li brings vitality and depth to his performances. He is the Principal Conductor of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra and was appointed Permanent Guest Conductor of the Mariinsky Theatre in June 2024. He has earned widespread recognition for his expressive interpretations and versatility across a broad range of repertoire.
In the 2022/23 season, Li made a notable debut with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, receiving high praise for his performance. He conducted the Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra in a sold-out concert at Tchaikovsky Hall and later performed with Denis Matsuev and Aida Garifullina at the Moscow Philharmonic Hall in a globally broadcast concert with the Russian National Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Li made his debut at the Royal Danish Opera and performed at the Verdi Festival in Parma with the Toscanini Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also led the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra of Theater für Niedersachsen, Tatarstan National Symphony Orchestra, Yakutsk Philharmonic Orchestra, and Moldova Philharmonic Orchestra.
During the 2023/24 season, Li continued his collaboration with the Mariinsky Theatre, conducting a variety of operas, including Madama Butterfly, La Traviata, Nabucco, Ariadne auf Naxos, Don Giovanni, and L’elisir d’amore. He also took part in the Stravinsky and Mariinsky Brass Festivals, leading performances of Strauss’s Alpine Symphony and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. Additionally, Li made his debut with the Russian National Orchestra and conducted Tosca at the Krasnoyarsk Opera House. In China, he directed the Beijing Symphony Orchestra in several performances and maintained relationships with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra and Guiyang Symphony Orchestra.
For the 2024/25 season, Li is set to conduct productions of Macbeth, La forza del destino, Turandot, The Magic Flute, Bluebeard’s Castle, and The Miraculous Mandarin, alongside symphonic works by Richard Strauss, Mahler, and Shostakovich.
Li is the 1st-prize winner of the International Conducting Competition “Jeunesses Musicales” (Bucharest, 2014). He has also garnered several prestigious awards at major international conducting competitions, including the Evgeny Svetlanov International Conducting Competition (Paris, 2018), the Besançon International Competition for Young Conductors(2019), and the Rachmaninoff International Music Competition (Moscow, 2022 where he received the Bronze Medal).
Over the years, Li has worked with many renowned orchestras, including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Romanian Radio National Orchestra, and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. In China, he has collaborated with the China Philharmonic Orchestra, National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra, Hangzhou Philharmonic Orchestra, and Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to his symphonic work, Li has frequently collaborated with the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing. His notable contributions include conducting Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (a co-production with the Royal Opera House and Australian Opera) and the original Chinese opera Orchid Flower. He has worked as Assistant Conductor to esteemed conductors such as Christoph Eschenbach, Charles Dutoit, and Manfred Honeck. During the 2019/2020 season, Li served as Assistant Conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra under Yu Long.
Born into a musical family, Li began studying piano at the age of six and gave his first public concert at ten. He completed his formal education at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” in Berlin, where he earned both a Master’s degree and the Konzertexamen.
Li received full scholarships to the Aspen Music Festival, Seiji Ozawa Music Academy, and the Péter Eötvös Foundation Mentoring Program. He was also selected twice for the Dirigentenwerkstatt Interaktion Berlin, a prestigious conducting workshop supported by leading German orchestras.
Li’s mentors, Christian Ehwald and Alexander Vitlin, have played pivotal roles in shaping his artistic development. He has also drawn inspiration from conductors such as Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, Neeme Järvi, and Tugan Sokhiev.
Li currently divides his time between Berlin and Beijing, bridging Eastern and Western musical traditions in his work.