BIO

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

 

Before transitioning her focus from maths to music composition, Mingdu's music had gained recognition from prestigious institutions and events such as the London Philharmonic Orchestra Soundworks and Summerfest at the Curtis Institute of Music. Her music has been performed at renowned venues, including London's Southbank Centre with the Rambert dance group, and Philadelphia's Field Concert Hall. After joining RCS and under expert guidance, Mingdu expanded her musical visions and diversified her interdisciplinary creations. She has composed music for student films at New York University, ballet at RCS, and various ensembles, such as the GAIA Duo, RCS Orchestra, Red Note Ensemble, Hebrides Ensemble, Mivos Quartet, and many more. Mingdu also has experience in workshops with the Imani Winds, Arx Duo, Leverhulme Conductors, and many others. She has taken masterclasses with world-class composers like Colin Matthews OBE, Mark-Anthony Turnage CBE, Errollyn Wallen CBE, Oliver Weber, Clemens Gadenstätter, David Serkin Ludwig, Nick DiBerardino, Jonathan Bailey Holland, Dimitri Tymoczko, Stuart MacRae, David Fennessy, Linda Buckley, Anthony R. Green, and Kate Moore. 

 

Recently, Mingdu has concentrated her musical aesthetic on interpreting the 'silent' languages and concepts of maths and quantum physics into 'audible' compositions. Her music not only delves into the notion of humanity's insignificance in relation to our Creator, but also captures the human journey from existential confusion to ultimate questions about cosmic origins and destiny. She believes that this unique approach can serve as a conduit between scientific exploration and spiritual longing, inviting the audience to grasp both the complexities and wonders of the universe while inspiring them to reflect on their inner selves.

 

Her orchestral piece ‘Entropy’ won the 2022/23 Walter and Dinah Wolfe Memorial Prize. This work premiered at Glasgow's City Halls by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Martyn Brabbins and was later broadcast on BBC Radio 3. She is also the recipient of the 2023 Musicians’ Company Silver Medal. 

 

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

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Lately, she has been selected to participate in the 2024/25 Britten Pears Young Artist Program, a new piece has been commissioned and will be supervised by composer Colin Matthew and Mark Anthony-Turnage. She has also been selected to participate in the 2024/25 ABRSM Composer Mentoring Program, new pieces have been commissioned for education/exam syllabuses and the National Children's Orchestra within broader educational contexts.

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