Yi-An Xu was born on July 13, 1979, Shanghai.
Since 2005 he has been a faculty member of the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music, Tel Aviv University, serving as a lecturer for Orchestra Conducting, coach of the Vocal Department and pianist/conductor of the School's opera productions. Yi-An Xu is a Senior Lecturer in Tel Aviv University. From the season of 2019-2020, Yi-An Xu is appointed as the Chief Conductor of the Buchmann Mehta School of Music Symphony Orchestra with Maestro Zubin Mehta's approval and Maestro Lahav Shani's acknowledgement.
He has been a guest conductor for leading Israeli orchestras such as The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon Lezion, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, The Israel Chamber Orchestra, Israel Sinfonietta Be’er Sheva, The Israel Netanya Kibbutz Orchestra, The Israel Stage Orchestra, Herzliya Chamber Orchestra and the Israel Contemporary Players. News).
Besides all his guest conducting, Yi-An Xu has served as a conductor and opera coach for many orchestras, opera companies and institutions around the world since his teenage years. Mr. Xu respectively served as resident conductor at the Shanghai Youth Symphony Orchestra, assistant conductor at the Shanghai Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, assistant conductor at the Shanghai Opera House, Coach at the Chiari International Opera Master Class, Italy and guest co-repetiteur at the Elder School of Music, University of Adelaide, Australia.
He was a finalist in the 2004 Cadaques International conducting competition, Spain and was also awarded the Dan Ben-Bassat Memorial Prize at Israel Samuel Rubin Academy of Music. Yi-An Xu also had 10 CD released with the prestigious “China Record” label with the Shanghai Youth Symphony Orchestra.
In the role of either conductor or opera coach, Yi-An Xu has assisted and personally collarborated with internationally-acclaimed musicians such as Maestro Kurt Mazur, Maestro Zubin Mehta, Charles Spencer, Hartmut Höll, Thomas Hampson, Hilde Zadek and others. He was praised by Maestro Mstislav Rostropovichi and the compliment from Maestro Seiji Ozawa for his conducting skill was published in the major newspaper in Shanghai (“XinMin” Evening)