Guangyao Xue

From an early age, Xue demonstrated exceptional musical talent. In 2004, he was admitted to the Elementary School Affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Professor Huang Yuanfu. In 2011, he received a full scholarship to study at the Curtis Institute of Music under Donald Montanaro, former Associate Principal Clarinet of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Beginning in 2014, he continued his studies with Ricardo Morales and later pursued advanced studies at Temple University in 2016.

During his years in the United States, Xue served as Principal Clarinet of both the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and the Temple University Symphony Orchestra, participating in international tours and recording projects. As a student, he collaborated with many world-renowned conductors, including Simon Rattle, Charles Dutoit, and Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

As one of the most promising young clarinetists of his generation, Xue received numerous prestigious awards, including First Prize in the Woodwind Division of the Beijing International Wind Festival, First Prize in the Clarinet Category of the Mravinsky International Youth Wind Competition, and First Prize in the Woodwind Division of the Temple University Concerto Competition. He also participated in the recording of LOVE, A BEAUTIFUL FORCE, an album nominated for the 62nd Grammy Awards.

As a professional performer, Xue Guangyao has appeared extensively across Asia, Europe, and North America. In recent years, he has been invited to participate in numerous major musical projects. He performed at China Central Television’s Spring Festival Gala, where the programs received widespread national acclaim. In 2025, at the invitation of renowned conductor Yu Long, he participated in a special recording project jointly produced by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and DG China, contributing to the globally released complete Shostakovich Symphony cycle, including Symphonies No. 5 and No. 7.

In March 2024, he appeared as a soloist with the Nanchang Symphony Orchestra, performing two clarinet concert works: Debussy’s Première Rhapsodie and Copland’s Clarinet Concerto, receiving critical acclaim. In November 2021, he collaborated with young conductor Yu Ji in the symphonic concert Youth Storm – Yu Ji & Xue Guangyao Perform Mozart, which received enthusiastic praise from the music community. He also successfully presented his graduation recital in April 2019. In 2022, he participated in CCTV’s “Cloud Performance” project featuring one hundred Chinese and international musicians celebrating the Lunar New Year and Winter Olympics. In March 2015, he served as Principal Clarinet on the Curtis Symphony Orchestra’s Curtis on Tour concert tour in the United States. On February 15, 2015, he represented the Curtis Institute of Music at the Kennedy Center in a concert featuring Russian composers of the 19th and 20th centuries. In May 2012, he joined the Curtis Symphony Orchestra on its German Curtis on Tour concert tour.

Alongside his performing career, Xue has remained deeply committed to music education. He contributed to the compilation of the China Philharmonic Orchestra Social Arts Grading Examination Curriculum and serves as an examiner for the program. The wind ensemble he coaches at Wanquan Primary School was awarded the title of Beijing Golden Sail Wind Ensemble in 2025, while many of his students have received prizes at national performance competitions.