Quartet
Our Collaborators
Xilyu Feng
Xilyu Feng is a Chinese musicologist and pianist from Ningbo, currently undertaking advanced research in Musicology at the University of Manchester under the supervision of Professor Barry Cooper. His academic work is situated within the field of historical musicology, with a particular specialization in Beethoven’s compositional process and manuscript studies, especially the analysis of sketches and draft materials. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance and a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Arts from Macao Polytechnic University, where he was recognized for both artistic excellence and academic distinction through consecutive annual scholarships awarded by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government. As a performer, Feng has appeared in solo and chamber music settings across Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, the United Kingdom, and South Korea, building a versatile profile that bridges interpretive performance and scholarly research. In the field of arts administration, he has directed and curated numerous concert series and visual art exhibitions in cities including Zhuhai and Macao, contributing to cross-disciplinary dialogue and cultural engagement. In addition to his musicological and curatorial practice, Feng is also active as a photographer; his photographic works have been exhibited at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, reflecting a broader commitment to aesthetic inquiry and visual culture.
Jiachen Xu
Violinist of Ningbo Symphony Orchestra, member of Ningbo Music Association's Creative Art Committee, Apple Music Artist, and Tencent Musician. Began learning the violin at age of four under the renowned violin educator Wang Baihong. In 2018, he was admitted to the undergraduate program at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, studying under Associate Professor Yuan Jiamin, and later studied chamber music with Professor Zhang Yuan and Jensen Lam. In 2022, he was accepted into Manhattan School of Music, studying under Issac Malkin, a disciple of the Auer school. He also pursued advanced studies in orchestra playing with Bruno Eicher, the associate principal of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and studied chamber music with Wilfrid Koessel, cellist of the American Quartet, pianist Gerald Robbins, and Wang Xiao.
While studying with Marc Cary, He had precious chance to collaborate with Sharrif Simmons, a four-time Emmy Award documentary composer, to release a Mother’s Day album "A Woman’s History." His original orchestral compositions have been recognized and guided by Tan Dun, a Grammy and Oscar-winning composer. Later he was entrusted to arrange the Chinese classical song "After I Grew Up, I Became You" into a symphonic version, which had its premiere performed by the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra and renowned soprano Xu Lisi at the Poly Grand Theatre in Ningbo Cultural Plaza.
Many of his original and adapted works, such as "Jasmine Flower Fantasy," "Rain After East Mountains," and "Dying Star," have been performed and exchanged at various cultural events across different regions, receiving widespread acclaim.