BIO

Born in Beijing, Mingdu Li is a third-year doctoral composer at the Royal College of Music (RCM), under the supervision of Professor Kenneth Hesketh and Professor William Mival, kindly supported by the RCM Studentship and the prestigious Mendelssohn Scholarship Foundation. She holds an MMus and BMus (Hons) in Composition from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), where she studied with Dr. Oliver Iredale Searle and Tom David Wilson, and a BSc (Hons) in Mathematics from University College London.

 

Her recent compositional focus explores the evocation of the 'silent' languages of mathematics and quantum physics into vivid, 'audible' sound worlds. Her music often interrogates the theme of human insignificance in relation to our Creator, charting a journey from existential uncertainty to contemplation of cosmic origins and ultimate destiny. She views this approach as a bridge between scientific inquiry and spiritual introspection, inviting listeners to engage with both the vastness of the universe and the depths of their inner selves.

 

Her compositions have been performed by leading ensembles and featured in major festivals and programmes, including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Britten Pears Young Artist Programme, National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain, London Mozart Players, Mixtur Barcelona, Bowdoin International Music Festival (Fellowship), Avanti! Chamber Orchestra, Hebrides Ensemble, Ulysses Ensemble, Red Note Ensemble, Mivos Quartet, Resol Quartet, MotoContrario Ensemble, Sound Festival Scotland, London Philharmonic Orchestra Soundworks, Curtis Summerfest, etc. She also collaborates across disciplines, including contemporary dance, ballet, film, installation, and educational contexts.

 

Throughout the years, she has also been studying with or participating in masterclasses led by internationally recognised composers including: Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE, Errollyn Wallen CBE, Colin Matthews OBE, Helen Grime MBE, Carola Bauckholt, Derek Bermel, Linda Buckley, Nick DiBerardino, Bushra El-Turk, David Fennessy, Michael Finnissy, Luca Francesconi, Clemens Gadenstätter, Anthony R. Green, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Emily Howard, David Serkin Ludwig, Stuart MacRae, Kate Moore, Andreia Pinto Correia, Tomi Räisänen, Jukka Tiensuu, Dimitri Tymoczko, Oliver Weber, etc, listed alphabetically by surname.

 

Her orchestral piece Entropy was premiered by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under Martyn Brabbins and broadcast on BBC Radio 3, where she has also been featured and interviewed multiple times. Her awards include the Walter and Dinah Wolfe Memorial Prize, finalist for the Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Prize, and the Musicians’ Company Silver Medal. She is also a published composer, with works included in the ABRSM examination syllabus.

 

The Edinburgh Music Review has described her music as having "...a compelling ever-present pulse, conveying the sense of inexorability..." while Bachtrack Music Review characterised her compositions as exuding "a sense of an uncontrollable beast of pure energy... a confident work."

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Explore a selective list of Mingdu’s music via: Mingdu Li | British Music Collection

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