Xinyi Xu, viola (Hangzhou, China), is actively engaged as an orchestral, chamber, and solo player.  A new member of New Haven Symphony Orchestra, she has previously participated in New York String Orchestra Seminar under the direction of Jamie Laredo, performing at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium in New York City during Christmas 2008 and 2009.  In 2010, Xinyi was invited to Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Salzau, Germany and toured with the orchestra academy throughout Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Czech Republic under the direction of Christoph Eschenbach, Ivan Fischer, Christopher Hogwood and David Geringas.  Xinyi was a fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival and School in summer 2011, studying with James Dunham and Jeffrey Irvine, and served as principal violist in the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen Orchestra.  As a chamber musician, Xinyi participated in Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and previously attended Morningside Music Bridge in Calgary, Canada.  Her principal teachers are Ettore Causa and Ira Weller. She has also worked with many artist-teachers including Pamela Frank, Luis Garcia-Renart, Weigang Li, Cho-liang Lin, Ira Weller, Laurie Smuckler, George Sopkin, Steve Tenenbom, Roman Totenberg, Michael Tree, Peter Wiley, and others.  Xinyi served as principal violist of Bard Conservatory Orchestra in the Greater China Tour (2012) and appeared as a soloist with pianist Melvin Chen in Shanghai Grand Theater. She performed in Bard’s “Music Alive!” series which featured music by living composers and directed by Joan Tower, with whom she studied composition. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Viola Performance from Bard College Conservatory of Music, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Language and Literature from Bard College, and a Master of Music degree from Yale School of Music, where she is also a teaching assistant. Past Yellow Barn musician (2014)