Runchen Li

Runchen Li is a freshman composition major at New England Conservatory in Boston. His music has been described by renowned Chinese composer Xilin Wang as “highly speculative yet engaging.” Li’s work explores the boundaries of sound, structure, and extended instrumental techniques, and he delights in presenting his discoveries to audiences in imaginative and engaging ways.

 

Recent highlights include his January 2026 commission from the NEC Chamber Singers—making him the youngest composer ever to receive this honor—for his choral work “Purple Bamboo,” premiered at Jordan Hall on April 23, 2026; he also get selected for the 2026 Cascade Composer and Conductor Workshop, where his chamber orchestra piece “But… Harbor Remains” will be developed and premiered under the mentorship of David Ludwig; his will participate in the Yarn/Wire Institute in New York in June 2026, where he will work with Yarn/Wire and Bo Zhang and refine a new work for the Ashian Ensemble. He was also invited to speak at the 150th Anniversary Schönberg Symposium held at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2024, and as a pianist, he gave the world premiere of Chris Brewster’s Piano Concerto “Nox Regam” with the NEC Philharmonic at Jordan Hall in December 2025.

 

Li studies composition and electronic music with Professor John Mallia, and has also studied organ under Thomas Handel.