Yao Jue Yao Jue

Yao Jue was born in Shanghai, China, and is the only violinist to be included in the 1995 book "China's Famous Females" published by the International Women's Congress in Beijing. Her photo graces the cover with the caption "Jue Yao's playing shows that the Chinese have reached a world class level in music making."

Ms. Yao was awarded a full scholarship by the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to continue her violin studies with Zaven Melikian. Later she graduated from the Juilliard School in New York where she studied under Dorothy DeLay.

Music critics since then have universally employed phrases such as, "technically impressive and intensely moving", "impeccable technique", “captivating", "poetic", "stylish" and "lustrous" to describe her performance. Ms. Yao's professional career has been punctuated by widely acclaimed performances throughout Asia, Europe and the United States.

In a relatively short period of time Ms. Yao has performed numerous concerts and at music festivals world-wide and has also appeared on radio and television both in China and the United States, including national “live” telecast concerts in Los Angeles, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Ms. Yao made her New York recital debut before a standing room only audience at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 1993. She has performed in numerous international festivals and major concert halls. They include The Ravinia Music Festival, The Aspen Music Festival, The Yachats Music Festival; The Avery Fisher Hall, The Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, The Herbst Theater and The Tchaikovsky Hall.

Orchestras with which she has performed in concert are: Brooklyn Philharmonic; Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra; Russia Philharmonic Orchestra; Honolulu Symphony Orchestra; Prague Chamber Orchestra; Suk Chamber Orchestra; National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba; Japan Century Symphony Orchestra; Singapore Symphony Orchestra; Little Orchestra Society of New York; Central Philharmonic of China; China National Symphony Orchestra; China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra; Radio Orchestra of Shanghai; Shanghai Symphony Orchestra; Shanghai Philharmonic; Shanghai Chinese Orchestra; Hong Kong Sinfonietta and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. In 2000, Ms. Yao was the featured soloist with the China National Symphony Orchestra on their concert tour of Mexico.

Her expanding discography includes many classic works of the Chinese repertoire. Her most popular compact disc, Butterfly Lovers Violin Concert, with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra was also filmed as an MTV music video. Up to now, Ms. Yao has released total of 9 CD & DVD solo albums.

Ms. Yao founded the "Yao Jue Music Academy" and the "Hong Kong Children’s Chamber Orchestra” in 2002. She also founded the “Hong Kong String Orchestra” in 2013. She is also the first Chinese musician to be received by President Castro of Cuba. Ms. Yao was awarded the “Outstanding Violinist Rado Timeless Award” in 2002, the “Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Hong Kong" and “Most Charismatic Award” in 2004, the “Ten Most Successful Women” in 2005, the “Outstanding Women Professionals Award” in 2008 and the “Outstanding Women of the Year” in 2012.

Ms. Yao served on the International Jury Panel for the Montblanc Arts Patronage Award in 2003. She also served as the University Artist of the University of Hong Kong from 2008 to 2010 and was appointed the Artist-in-Residence of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University from 2014 to 2015.

In 2008, Ms. Yao became a Committee member of China Overseas Friendship Association. She also serves as the council member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (Shanghai Committee), a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund, Artistic Advisor of Opera Hong Kong and a member of the programme committee of the Hong Kong Arts Festival Society.

In 2013, she was nominated as the Justice of the Peace in Hong Kong. From 2000 to 2006, she served as a council member of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts as well as the Chairlady of the Academic Affairs Committee while from 2005 to 2010, she was a council member of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

IIn 2015, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s University Fellowship is conferred upon Ms. Yao. She is also appointed the Council member of Chinese Musicians Association.

Ms. Yao plays a 1713 Stradivarius violin.