Shanghai native rises to become principal cello at storied Philadelphia Orchestra

Her heartfelt performances move audiences with every note she plays on the cello.

And Hai-Ye Ni, 53, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is clear exactly what emotion she hopes audiences will feel when she performs.

"I just hope for half an hour, or 20 minutes, that I'm able to bring some kind of peace, some kind of transformation to people in the audience. It's a very special time where everybody's in a large room and we're all sort of sharing something together, you know, that's great music," Ni said.

In an exclusive interview with China Daily, the talented cellist, known for her exquisite tone, reveals her musical journey from learning the cello as a child in her native China to becoming principal cello for the Philadelphia Orchestra in the United States.

Born in Shanghai, Ni began taking cello lessons with her mother at the age of six.

At first, she experimented with other instruments, such as the violin and piano, but found that she was drawn to the cello as it had a "warm sound."

"My mom actually let me listen to a lot of recordings of famous cellists of the time, Pablo Casals in particular, and so I grew up hearing all that beautiful music. I just love the cello sound. It's the closest to the human voice, that's how people describe the cello," she said.

Accepted into the prestigious Shanghai Conservatory of Music at just nine years old, she believes that starting her studies so young gave her "structure."

She adds that once she went to the school, her career path was laid out and she knew that with hard work she would, one day, be a professional musician.

Ni moved to the US at 13 years old with her mother. They joined her dad, a scientist, who was at University of California Berkeley in California.

Her international training includes working with world renowned teachers such as Irene Sharp at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Joel Krosnick at The Juilliard School in New York and William Pleeth in London, England.

Ni gained national acclaim after winning first prize at the Naumburg International Cello Competition in 1990. Her acclaimed debut at the Alice Tully Hall in 1991 put her on the path to success.

"I never knew I was going to come to America to study music. I thought I was just going to be in Shanghai," she said, reminiscing. "I had so many people who helped me along the way: my parents, my teachers in San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Juilliard."

The cellist, one of the most accomplished of her generation, became principal cello of the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2006. Her solo debut was in 2010.

The renowned orchestra, led by conductor Eugene Ormandy, was pivotal in helping to build relations between the US and China over 50 years ago.

In 1973, it became the first orchestra from the US to perform in China. Ni is proud of this legacy.

"I feel very honored to be in the orchestra," Ni said. "There are still a couple of musicians in the orchestra who were on that tour. I've seen in archives the pictures of them visiting the Great Wall of China and with Eugene Ormandy. It's really amazing."

Before joining Philadelphia's orchestra, she was associate principal cello of the New York Philharmonic between 1999 and 2006.

"I'm also so fortunate that I was able to play masterclasses for Yo-Yo Ma and Bernard Greenhouse," the famed American cellists. "It was really important for me," she said.

Her long list of honors include a 2001 Avery Fisher Career Grant, second prize in the 1997 Rostropovich Competition in France, first prize in the 1996 International Paulo Cello Competition Finland, and the 1994 Best Performance of Tchaikovsky prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia.

She has graced the stage for recitals in a variety of high-profile venues including the Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Smithsonian Institute, Gardner Museum, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society and the Wallace Collection in London.

She has collaborated alongside a host of international musicians including pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Lang Lang, and violinists Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Christian Tetzlaff and Pinchas Zukerman.

This year, she performed at a host of events including the Kingston Chamber Music Festival. Of note was her thrilling performance at the Lincoln Center when she performed the US premiere of Chinese-Mongolian composer Yu Mengshi's The Lonely Camel Calf.

Last year, the cellist, who is also a recording star, played a recital tour in China and was in Italy to perform at the Chamber Music Dolomites festival.

But she humbly states that she is forever grateful for her upbringing in China, her family, teachers and others who helped her career blossom. "I had a lot of help to have a career, like what I have now," she says, acknowledging them all.

Ni will perform on Sunday at the Piano Trio Concert, An Afternoon of Cultural Splendor, part of the ongoing concert series at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Sunday (Nov 23) alongside renowned Chinese pianist Li Jian and famed violinist Siqing Lu.

The trio, all friends, have seen each other's careers skyrocket onto the world stage.

Ni said: "I'm really looking forward to it. We're definitely going to have a good time."

Ahead of the concert, Lu also spoke of his excitement at getting to play alongside his friends, describing Ni as a "wonderful" musician.