Originally from China, Li Lu describes herself as ‘a cellist with wings’, ‘an artist with a bow’ and ‘an adventurer with a cello’. She began playing cello at the age of five and completed her musical training at RNCM. Working as a soloist and orchestra musician, she has performed across Asia and Europe. Her artistic life took a new direction when she accepted a challenge to travel across Europe in thirty five days, from Athens to Edinburgh, surviving purely by playing cello. Her performances were featured in a Sky Arts documentaryArt of Survival (2011), reaching a vast audience in the UK and internationally. 

 

The experience of engaging audiences through playing in unexpected scenarios and settings brought a new maturity, power, and immediacy to her performances. Inspired by her adventure she recorded the complete Bach cello suites, In Love with Bach (2012). 

 

Li Lu's adventure made her want to connect more with a non classical audience, especially children, and it reawakened a long-held fascination with design and the visual arts. This has lead her away from a standard musical career into teaching and into a number of unconventional musical collaborations, such as LiLu's Music Box. In addition to her exciting performing career, Li Lu works at Chetham’s School of Music, where she enjoys teaching talented young musicians.