Li-Kuo Chang

Li-Kuo Chang serves as Professor of Music in viola at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. A celebrated orchestral and chamber musician, he held the position of assistant principal viola with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) from 1988 (appointed by Georg Solti) and served as acting principal viola from 2017 (appointed by Riccardo Muti).

His musical education began under his mother—a Shanghai Conservatory professor and Royal Academy of Music graduate—with piano training. Inspired by David Oistrakh's violin performance, he transitioned to strings, making his public debut at age 11 during the Shanghai Spring Music Festival. His viola studies progressed as follows:

• Eastman School of Music with Francis Tursi
• Music Academy of the West with Milton Thomas and Donald McInnes
• Private instruction from Paul Doktor and William Magers
• Master classes with William Primrose

Chang's artistic profile centers on viola performance across orchestral and chamber settings. He has collaborated with Pinchas Zukerman, Daniel Barenboim, Yo-Yo Ma, and Christoph Eschenbach at major festivals including Lucerne, Jerusalem, and Ravinia. His repertoire spans Baroque works like Bach's Brandenburg Concertos to Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen cycle, performed with Staatskapelle Berlin during Asian tours from 2000–2007.

Awards and Honors:

• 1978 Young Artist Competition in Shanghai (First-ever violist in China to win)

With over 30 years of teaching experience, Chang has mentored students who secured principal positions in orchestras across Boston, Chicago, Detroit, New York, St. Louis, London, Tokyo, Singapore, and Hong Kong. His faculty appointments include Northwestern University's Bienen School of Music, Peabody Institute, and Affinis Summer Festival in Japan. Chang performs on a 1774 Turin period G. B. Guadagnini viola owned by the CSO, previously playing the rare 1768 Parma period G. B. Guadagnini (ex-Vieuxtemps) for over two decades.