Twenty-four-year-old cellist Jiayin He is a candidate for the Master of Music degree at the esteemed Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he also earned his bachelor’s degree. For the 2024–25 season, he serves as principal cello of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra. This season he has been leading the cello section of the Curtis Symphony in various concert halls, including David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York and Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.
Originally from Shanghai, China, Mr. He began studying the cello at the age of five. He made his debut performing Haydn’s C-major Cello Concerto at age 11, followed by a performance of Lalo’s Cello Concerto at the Shanghai Concert Hall with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra at age 12. Since then he has gained international recognition, winning prestigious awards including First Prize at the 2013 Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition, First Prize at the 2012 Aiqin Chinese National Cello Competition, Second Prize at the 2014 Knushevitsky International Cello Competition, Second Prize at the 2013 David Popper International Cello Competition, and Third Prize at the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition.
Mr. He has been the recipient of full scholarships offered by the Seiji Ozawa Music Academy in Japan and the Morningside Music Bridge in Calgary for multiple years. From 2016 to 2018 he served as principal cello in opera productions directed by Seiji Ozawa and performed in numerous concerts across Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Matsumoto.