Li Xincao, born in North China's Hebei Province in 1971, is the resident conductor of China National Symphony Orchestra and the principal conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the National Ballet Orchestra of China.

Conductor Li Xincao in a performance

Influenced by his mother, Li Xincao began to study music in his early childhood, and the solid musical education he received laid the foundation for his future career. In 1994, he graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music and had been one of the students of Prof. Xu Xin, a prestigious conductor and educator in China.

By the age of 20, he had successfully cooperated with many famous domestic orchestras including Central Philharmonic Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, etc, performing the works of Mahler, Brahms, Shostakovich, Rachmaninov, Silbelius and Dvorak. In addition, he also collaborated with faculty and students of the China Conservatory of Music and performed Verdi's opera La Traviata and the Chinese opera Champaign.

In November 1993, as one of the representatives of Central Conservatory of Music, he won the first prize at the First National Conducting Competition of China. In 1994, he was appointed as resident conductor of the Symphony Orchestra of the China National Ballet. He has successfully conducted many classical and Chinese full length ballets including Giselle, Swan Lake, the Sleeping Beauty, the Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, La Sylphide, Don Quixote, Coppelia and the Red Detachment of Women.

In 1996, at the invitation of the renowned conductor and Professor Leopold Hager, Li Xincao went to Austria to pursue advanced studies at the Wiener Musikhochschule. In 1997, Li Xincao returned to China as Mr. Hager's assistant conductor for a performance with the Wiener Staats Oper. In the same year, he won the 2nd prize in the 45th Besancon International Conducting Competition held in France. In the fall of 1999, he toured Japan with China National Symphony Orchestra for the "99 Tour to Japan", conducting with Maestro Chen Zuohuang, and achieved great success. In 2000, he was honored as "one of the 100 promising and influential youths of China in 21st century".

As an active young conductor, Li Xincao has toured many cities of China and abroad. Besides cooperating with many domestic orchestras, he has frequently collaborated with the National Orchestra de Lille, the Besancon Opera House, the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tivoli Orchestra, the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, the Korean KBS Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and the Hong Kong Ballet.

He has successfully conducted many operas including Madame Butterfly, Rigoletto, Traviata, Aida and Tosca. In the end of 2002, Lin Xincao will lead CNSO to tour in Japan, Australia and Europe.

In series of concerts, he has shown his adaptability to different programs and his correct understanding of different styles of works. He was praised especially for his excellent performance in German and Austrian works and in the new works by the Chinese contemporary composers.