Faculty
Sean Xue
Dr. Sean Yusheng Xue, a native of Shanghai, China, is praised as “one of the most exciting saxophonists of the young generation.” He has won awards in numerous competitions, including First Prize in the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition, First Prize in the Concours Saxiana in France, Third Prize in the Concours Saxo Voce in France, and First Prize in the LISMA International Music Competition. Dr. Xue has given recitals and masterclasses at the New England Conservatory, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore, Zhejiang Conservatory, Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall, and Shanghai Conservatory Music High School. He has been invited to perform as a soloist with IRCAM, the Soochow University Wind Ensemble, the Shanghai Jiaotong University Wind Ensemble, and the Zhong Fu Yin Symphonic Band. Additionally, he teaches regularly at the Asia Pacific Saxophone Academy, the Qingdao Clarinet & Saxophone Masterclass, and the MOSA Saxophone Workshop.
Dr. Xue founded one of the leading saxophone quartets in China, the Alah Quartet, and has regularly performed at the Shanghai Symphony Hall, the Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall, the Oriental Arts Center, and the Shanghai Poly Theater. The quartet has initiated numerous commissions from composers in China, such as Zhu Jianer and Xu Jainqiang. One of their crowning achievements, the arrangement of 'Chasing Tiger' from traditional Peking Opera, has become an Internet sensation in China.
As a lecturer of saxophone at the Soochow University School of Music, Dr. Xue made his debut with his saxophone studio at the Second Asian Saxophone Congress in Shanghai. Their performance of his arrangement of Danzon No. 2 by Arturo Marquez received high critical acclaim. His students have won numerous competitions in China and garnered significant attention.
Dr. Xue received his Doctor of Musical Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music, and completed Master's studies at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and the Conservatoire de Cergy-Pontoise in France. His past teachers include Chien-Kwan Lin, Otis Murphy, Jean-Yves Fourmeau, and Jingli Hong.
