Tao Fan

Tao Fan holds the rank of National First Class Conductor in the People’s Republic of China. He studied conducting and composition with famous conductor, educator, and mentor Huang Xiao Tong at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, winning several awards and scholarships. After graduating at the top of his class in 1995, he was appointed Resident Conductor of the National Film and Radio Philharmonic in Beijing. Since then he has conducted leading orchestras in China and around the world, collaborating with internationally recognized soloists and choruses. He conducts more than 100 concerts a season.

Mr. Fan is known as a precise but passionate conductor with flawless technique. In May 2000, he was selected to compete in the 2nd International Sibelius Conducting Competition in Finland. He so impressed jury chairman and world-renowned conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen that the Sibelius Estate awarded him a special grant to continue his studies with Mr. Salonen. Mr. Fan’s later performances at the annual Finnish Summer Music Festival were broadcast on national television to critical acclaim. He has conducted many Finnish ensembles: the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish National Broadcasting Orchestra, Avanti Chamber Orchestra, and Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra.

In 2001, Mr. Fan was awarded a full scholarship to study with famed pedagogue Philip Spurgeon at Florida State University. While at FSU, Mr. Fan became Artistic Director of the Chamber Orchestra and Assistant Conductor of the Symphony Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2003, Mr. Fan premiered modern works by famous contemporary U.S. composers at the 11th Florida Contemporary Music Festival. That same year, his successful New York Carnegie Hall debut featured contemporary music.

In 2006, China’s Ministry of Culture chose Mr. Fan to conduct an orchestra drawn from the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations at the opening of ASEAN’s conference in Cambodia. In 2009, he guest-conducted the Bogota Philharmonic Orchestra in Colombia, and led the National Film and Radio Philharmonic on a well-received month-long tour of Eastern Europe. Earlier this year, Mr. Fan guest-conducted the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra in Tucson, and the China Philharmonic at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

In addition to conducting the Oberlin Symphony Orchestra in Ohio, Mr. Fan was the final juror at the Oberlin International Piano Competition and has judged many national competitions. His music and personal interviews have been broadcast frequently on Chinese radio and television. He has composed and conducted music for numerous film and television soundtracks in China. In 2007, his many recordings earned him the title “outstanding conductor of the year” from the Chinese government.

As of: December 4, 2010