Biography

Born in Hong Kong, Ming Yeung Li is a professional soloist, freelance trombonist, and educator based in Melbourne, Australia. Li has been engaging in numerous solo performances, workshops, festivals, and recordings around the world, such as Iceland, Netherlands, Germany, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, China, Australia, and New Zealand.

Along the pathway as a soloist, Ming has had solo performances with leading orchestras, wind ensembles and brass bands, including Hong Kong Symphony Society Wind Symphony, University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, University of Melbourne Brass Ensemble, Preston Symphony Orchestra, Footscray Yarraville City Band, Auckland City Brass, Whitehorse Orchestra. Ming has played a wide-ranging solo trombone repertoire, highlights of which were Joe Jack Binglebandit, Waves of Wollongong and Los Bandidos by Christian Lindberg, Trombone Concerto by Derek Bourgeois, Rhapsody and Amoroso and Parody by Barry McKimm. Ming is avid for alto trombone repertoires/ transcriptions and has recently transcribed Alessandro Marcello’s Oboe Concerto for Alto Trombone. This transcription has been performed on several occasions.

In 2017 Ming was selected, among a class of only 8, to take part in the highly prestigious Christian Lindberg masterclass at the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival in Lübeck, Germany. Ming was extraordinarily grateful and honourable to attend the 2017 masterclass where he gave performances of Piéce in Eb minor by Joseph Guy Ropartz and Joe Jack Binglebandit by Christian Lindberg himself. During his time in Australia, Ming was awarded in different competitions. He came first place in the University of Melbourne Brass Solo Competition, second place in the Brisbane Lower Brass Week Open Solo Competition.

Apart from solo performance experiences, Li actively engages in workshops, festivals and recordings. Ming has appeared as a collaborative trombonist in different albums. He was invited to contribute to albums by well-known artists such as Björk (Biophilia) and performed with Mia Maestro on the soundtrack to the Hollywood blockbuster Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part 1. His recent recording project includes a world premiere composition by Australian represented composer Barry McKimm. As a accomplished trombonist, Li was invited by Yamaha New Zealand to present a solo recital in Auckland in 2018 and was the faculty artist in New Zealand International Brass Festival in 2019.

As a freelance orchestral trombonist, Ming has performed with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Australian Music Theatre Orchestra, Iceland Symphony Orchestra, North Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Asian Youth Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2010, Ming won a position with Orkester Norden, a youth orchestra founded by Esa-Pekka Salonen. In addition to orchestral playing, Ming had performed with two of the leading A-grade contesting brass bands in Melbourne, Kew Band and Footscray-Yarraville City Band, in the Australian National Band Championship. Further afield, Ming had also been invited to play with Auckland City Brass in the New Zealand Brass Band Championship.

Ming is also an enthusiastic educator and conductor. In 2014, Ming started to teach at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium. Ming has conducted various ensembles, including University of Melbourne Trombone Ensemble during their tour in Hong Kong and the Slider Asia Festival (2015). In 2016, Ming spearheaded the Melbourne Trombone Ensemble (MTE), the first regularly performing trombone ensemble in Australia, and is the group’s Musical Director and conductor. MTE is committed to connecting with Australian audiences and sharing the joy of trombone ensemble music with brass lovers. Ming is currently the conductor of the Low Brass Society of Victoria and trombone teacher at Eltham High School where runs one of the best Music Program in Australia.

Ming completed the Master of Music Performance and Bachelor of Music at the University of Melbourne, Music Conservatorium of Music under the supervision and mentorship of Associate Professor Don Immel with full Faculty scholarship granted. Prior to his adventure in Australia, he began studying the trombone in his home city of Hong Kong in 2007 at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts under the tutelage of Maciek Walicki and Michael Priddy. In 2010, Li left Hong Kong to pursue his orchestral ambitions in Iceland, undergoing a Bachelor of Music studying under Swedish trombonist Jessica Buzbee, and also studying orchestral conducting under Gunnsteinn Ólafsson. Ming has also spent time studying with other renowned names in the trombone world, such as Joseph Alessi (NY Philharmonic) and Jörgen van Rijen (Royal Concertgebouw), James Lebens (Canada) and Jacques Mauger (France).

In 2022, Ming was invited to be the Honorary Advisor for the Hong Kong International Music Culture Association.

Ming is an S.E. Shires performing artist.