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Ken began playing cello at age 6 and graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing (China), having received numerous prizes in various competitions. After being awarded his Bachelor degree, he began Master’s degree studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater (HMT) in Rostock, Germany, under Prof. von Bülow, who was the student of Gregor Piatigorsky and Pierre Fournier.
At the HMT, Ken was a principal cellist and performed in numerous orchestral concert projects, such as live concerts for the North German Public Radio classical music channel. In October 2005, he played a cello sonata created by the German composer Prof. Thomas Ehricht. “Ken is the best cellist who has ever played this cello sonata,” asserted the composer. In 2006, Ken made a CD recording of this sonata with pianist Yasuko Sugimoto. It is now part of the HMT Music Library collection. Ken was awarded his Master’s degree by the HMT in 2007, and signed a contract with the Darmstadt Opera (Germany) later that year.
In 2008, Ken founded his first cello studio in North Carolina, and since 2009 he has held the position of Cello Instructor at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Due to his commitment and close interaction with his students, Ken’s studio has expanded to include cellists ranging from 6 years olds to those of college age, many of whom are already very accomplished musicians. Most of Ken’s students are performing in the best American youth orchestras in North Carolina and beyond, such as the All-State Youth Orchestra, All-County Youth Orchestra and the NC Triangle Youth Philharmonic. Some have appeared on stage at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, and the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
Ken presently performs with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. In addition, he performs with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Strathmore Music Hall in North Bethesda, and at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, MD.
