Peijun Xu

Peijun Xu, born in Shanghai, is among the leading violists of her generation. As a soloist, she has
performed in renowned venues such as the Shanghai Concert Hall, the Laeiszhalle Hamburg,
and the Alte Oper Frankfurt. She has played with esteemed ensembles including the Shanghai
Philharmonic Orchestra, the Moscow Soloists, the Konzerthausorchester Berlin, the Deutsche
Kammerphilharmonie Bremen, the Hofer Symphoniker, the Philharmonie Baden-Baden, the
Württemberg Chamber Orchestra Heilbronn, and the Hamburger Camerata, under the baton of
conductors such as Muhai Tang, Yuri Bashmet, Pavel Baleff, Andreas Holtz, Sebastian Tewinkel,
Clemens Schuldt, and Ralf Gothóni. She has premiered several new viola concertos, including Peregrina by Ralf Gothóni, Reflet d’un temps disparu in the viola version by Qigang Chen, and Water Melodies by Thorsten Encke. Among her chamber music partners are Paul Rivinius, Evgenia Rubinova, Jens Peter Maintz, Franziska Hölscher, Veit Hertenstein, and the Schumann Quartet.

Peijun Xu has recorded several recital CDs with the labels ARS, Profil Hänssler, and Hänssler
Classic. She has received numerous international awards, including 1st Prize and the Audience
Prize at the International Max Rostal Competition in Berlin, 1st Prize and two special awards at
8 von 19the International Yuri Bashmet Viola Competition in Moscow, and 2nd Place at the Lionel Tertis
International Viola Competition in England.

She received her musical education at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts with
Prof. Roland Glassl, the Kronberg Academy with Prof. Nobuko Imai, and the Hanns Eisler School
of Music Berlin with Prof. Tabea Zimmermann. Peijun Xu has taught as a viola professor at the
Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts and the Detmold University of Music. From
October 2018 to 2024, she served as a Professor of Viola at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz
Köln (Aachen campus). As of October 2024, she is Professor of Viola at the Detmold University of
Music.