Teng Li has been appointed as the new principal viola of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO), succeeding Charles Pikler, who held the position from 1986 to 2017. Li-Kuo Chang, who acted as principal viola from 2017 until his retirement in 2023, also served in this role.
Li, who currently holds the Paul Hindemith Principal Viola Chair, was selected for the position by Riccardo Muti in September 2023. She has previously performed with the CSO as a guest principal viola on multiple occasions.
Before joining the CSO, Li served as the principal viola of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2018. Prior to that, she held the principal viola position at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for 14 seasons. In addition to her orchestral career, Li is an accomplished educator and will join the faculty of Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts starting in the 2024/25 academic year.
Li’s accolades include top prizes at prestigious competitions such as the Johansen International Competition, Primrose International Viola Competition, Klein International String Competition, and the ARD International Music Competition in Munich, Germany. She also won Astral Artistic Services’ 2003 National Auditions.
Originally from Nanjing, China, Li is a graduate of the Central Conservatory in Beijing and the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Michael Tree, Joseph de Pasquale, and Karen Tuttle.
As a founding member of the Rosamunde Quartet, Li has performed and conducted masterclasses across the United States and Canada, including notable venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and the 92nd Street “Y” Chamber Music Society in New York. She has collaborated closely with the Guarneri Quartet, joining them in concerts during their final season in 2008/09.
