MARQUETTE — A renowned violist will be featured in tonight’s Marquette Symphony Orchestra concert, “A Universe of Music,” set for 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Kaufman Auditorium.

Violinist Christine Harada Li is a versatile artist who has performed across the United States, Canada, Japan, Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain and Israel.

She has frequently performed with the award-winning Koinonia Trio, which has been playing together since 2015.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Li said of performing in places such as Marquette. “It’s great to meet musicians from other towns like this, and it’s amazing that it’s the 25th season of Marquette Symphony. So, I’m really excited to play with them.”

She will play Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1, sponsored by Innovate Marquette SmartZone.

Li has played with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the CityMusic Cleveland Chamber Orchestra and Ann Arbor Symphony. She has performed with both violin and viola as a guest artist at the Maui Classical Music Festival, Center Stage Strings, Oberlin Acoustics Workshop and Ann Arbor Chamber Fest.

Li has taken a leadership role in various art organizations and serves as artistic director of the Anchorage Chamber Music Festival and president of the Anchorage Fine Arts Society, a nonprofit organization in Anchorage, Alaska. She was co-education director at the Innsbrook Institute Summer Music Academy from 2016 2019.

She was the winner of the University of Michigan concerto competition and has won awards in other competitions.

In 2012, she was selected as the winner of the Young Alaskan Artist Award and Scholarship and presented a recital with YAA Director Juliana Osinchuk.

Li grew up in a musical family and began studying violin at the age of 5 and piano at age 10.

Her childhood principal teachers were Beverly Beheim for violin and Rumi Smith for piano.

She made her international debut when she was 10 years old at the Talent Education Research Institute’s Suzuki Summer School in Matsumoto, Japan.

She completed her doctorate in musical arts in 2019, studying with David Halen at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theater and Dance. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of music degree from the University of Michigan and completed her master of music degree at the Hochschule fur Musik, Theater und Medien in Germany.

“I started when I was 5, and it’s been part of my life since then,” Li said of her violin experience. “I think that it’s just part of who I am and how I express myself the best.

“And I love how much work it takes. It’s incredibly rewarding, and most of all, the music that I get to play, it’s just timeless, incredible music that’s been surviving hundreds of years. I feel very fortunate to be able to play pieces like the Bruch concerto.”

Li currently serves as assistant violin professor at the Ohio University School of Music in Athens, Ohio.

“We are thrilled to be wrapping up our 25th season with a virtuosic violinist soloist and a crowd-favorite piece of music,” said Andrew LaCombe, MSO vice president in an email.

“The 25th anniversary is a huge milestone for an organization like ours. The MSO is excited for more great events to come, including a free community concert in July.”

Tickets for tonight’s concert are available through NMU Tickets at www.nmu.edu/tickets or by calling 906-227-1032.

Tickets are free for children ages 6 to 14 with the purchase of an adult ticket.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.