Praised for his “phenomenal musical expression” (James Ehnes), award-winning violinist Zifan Ivan Li is a dynamic international performer. Born and raised in Dalian, China, Ivan began his life-long passion for the violin at the age of five, under the tutelage of his father, a guest concertmaster and pedagogue. He continued his studies in Japan for three years at the age of 16 and performed several recitals in Ibaraki.
Ivan graduated with Distinction from Brandon University, and during his years of musical training at Brandon University, Ivan received invaluable mentorship from Kerry DuWors, for which he is deeply grateful. Ivan has completed a Master of Music in Performance on scholarship under the tutelage of the wonderful Erika Raum at Western University. During his studies, he serves as a Teaching Assistant in both his undergraduate and graduate studies. He has performed in Canada, the United States, Japan and China with internationally renowned orchestras including the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Regina Symphony Orchestra, the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and the Scotia Festival of Music Orchestra.
He has also performed with many world-renowned musicians such as James Ehnes, Kerson Leong, Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, Airi Yoshioka, Duo 526, New Orford String Quartet, John Novacek, Andrew Armstrong, Sharon Wei, Tom Wiebe, Scott St. John, and Philippe Djokic. He has also been accepted to music festivals, including National Youth Orchestra of Canada, PRISMA Festival, Duo 526 Sonata Seminar at Indiana University, and Scotia Festival of Music.
Ivan is also an avid member and leader of a number of chamber music ensembles and orchestras. He has served as principal of the Brandon University Orchestra and performed with them on tour across the Westman/Parkland region. He is a founding member of Aurora Piano Quintet, and his trio's performance advanced to the final provincial competition in Manitoba. He serves as the concertmaster of Chorus Hamilton and is a substitute violinist at the Regina Symphony Orchestra, as well as an extra section violinist at the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra. He is a recent trophy winner at the Brandon Festival of the Arts, where he competed at the provincial level for multiple years.
Along with being a passionate performer, he is an experienced teacher. Ivan has served as a violin instructor at the Eckhardt-Gramatté Conservatory of Music in Canada and China since 2019. His students have been admitted to prestigious music schools such as the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. Ivan is a co-founder of the Golden Ears Chamberfest in Vancouver.
The Penderecki String Quartet praised his performance of the Brahms Violin Sonata. “... beautiful musical expression and wonderful collaboration between the violin and piano...” The Kun shoulder rest company has featured Ivan’s performances on their official social media.
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Ivan performs on a violin made by Jeff Phillips in 2015, as well as a copy of the '1714 Da Vinci' Stradivari made in 2022 by Canadian luthier Mark Schnurr, and uses a bow made in 2022 by Canadian bow maker Emmanuel Bégin.