Jiaxun Yao is a cellist whose work spans both modern and historical performance practices. A recent semifinalist at the Queen Elisabeth Competition and prizewinner of the Schoenfeld International String Competition and the Irving Klein International String Competition, she has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and with orchestras including the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Harbin Symphony Orchestra, Qingdao Symphony Orchestra, and the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. Her performances at the Queen Elisabeth Competition were praised by Klassiek Centraal for their “exceptional balance and richness of sound.”

Recent highlights include a performance of Hofmann’s Cello Concerto with the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie, appearances at the Ravinia Festival alongside Midori and Ettore Causa, and a tour of Poland with Shanghai Camerata as part of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival. An active chamber musician, Jiaxun performs regularly at leading venues and festivals throughout Europe and North America.

A passionate advocate for historical performance, Jiaxun explores the connections between musical traditions across centuries through both cello and viola da gamba. Her work in early music has led to appearances at the Amherst Early Music Festival and collaborations with leading specialists in the field. She has further developed her artistic voice through programs such as the Ravinia Steans Music Institute and Kronberg Academy. Bringing together modern and historical performance practices, she approaches music making as an ongoing dialogue between tradition, discovery, and human connection.

Jiaxun completed her Bachelor of Music degree at The Juilliard School, where she studied cello with Richard Aaron, Timothy Eddy, and Joel Krosnick. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at Musik Akademie Basel, studying cello with Danjulo Ishizaka and viola da gamba with François Joubert-Caillet.

At the heart of her artistic vision is a desire to connect with audiences through diverse forms of performance and create meaningful musical experiences that foster curiosity, dialogue, and human connection. Equally important to her is a commitment to education and community engagement, and she hopes to contribute to the next generation of musicians through teaching and outreach.