Letian Cheng

New York-based violinist and scholar Letian Cheng has developed a reputation as a compelling and thoughtful young voice in his work as a performer and classroom teacher.

Born in Nanjing, China, Letian started playing the violin at 4. Five years later, he made his solo concerto debut with Jiangsu Symphony Orchestra. Letian has recently premiered a string quartet, DreamS, and a string sextet, Silver Bells & Golden Sand, at the AAPI Montclair Lantern Festival and Morris Museum. Both programs feature underrepresented living composers while exploring inclusiveness. In addition to teaching at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege, Letian has led classes on species counterpoint and post-tonal theory at the New England Conservatory, where he also tutors at the Music Theory Learning Center.

A graduate of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Chamber Music Mentorship Program, Letian firmly believes that classical music should not be confined to concert halls and has given presentations at New York City public schools. Letian performs regularly with members of professional orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Letian has also performed with Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Apex Ensemble, and Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra. Having led orchestras at schools and festivals as a concertmaster, Letian has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall and Alice Tully Hall under George Manahan, David Chan, Peter Oundjian, and Xian Zhang’s batons.

Letian moved to the United States in 2015 and obtained degrees from The Juilliard School and the Mannes School of Music with scholarships and honors. Letian is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree with a minor in musicology at the New England Conservatory under the guidance of Nicholas Kitchen. He was also influenced by Mark Steinberg, Joel Smirnoff, Paul Biss, Todd Phillips, and Aaron Rosand.