Kevin Li

Chinese-American composer and conductor Dr. Kevin X. Li creates emotionally expressive music that guides listeners through vivid sonic landscapes. His compositions use music as a powerful medium to invite reflection on the complexity of our time and the beauty of life.

Drawing from a wide spectrum of musical traditions—including Chinese folk idioms, American jazz harmony, Argentine tango rhythms and European classical forms—Kevin has developed a unique artistic voice that has earned international recognition. His works have received numerous honors, including First Place in The American Prize in Instrumental Chamber Music (2023), the Florence Film Award: Best Original Score (2021), Finalist for the Alexander Zemlinsky Prize in Chamber Music (2024), and the Fulbright Study/Research Grant (2025), which will support his upcoming project in Poland under the mentorship of Professor Aleksander Kościów at the Chopin University of Music. In 2025, his orchestral music will be recorded by the Brno Philharmonic in the Czech Republic for inclusion in Orchestral Masters Vol. 12, to be released by Ablaze Records.

In addition to his work as a composer, Kevin is an active educator and conductor. He currently teaches Film Music at Xavier University and serves as Visiting Faculty in Music Technology at Miami University. He has led performances with student and community ensembles, including conducting the premiere of his orchestral fanfare with the Seven Hills Symphony and serving as assistant conductor for the 2023 CCM production of the Sleeping Beauty ballet. 

Kevin holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and a Master of Music in Composition, with cognates in Orchestral Conducting, from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he also completed his Bachelor of Music in Commercial Music Production.