Violinist John Bian, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, joined The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2024. He is an active orchestral musician who has studied with many notable concertmasters across the country. He was a member of the Milwaukee Symphony beginning in 2018 and in 2022 began serving as assistant principal second violin. He also serves as a substitute violin in many major orchestras around the country such as the Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Detroit symphonies. In addition to his large ensemble career, he is also a passionate chamber musician having studied with members of the Cleveland, Cavani, Calidore, and Muir string quartets.
Mr. Bian earned his bachelor’s degree from Boston University, where he studied with Yuri Mazurkevich. At BU he was the grand prize winner of both the Solo Bach Competition in 2012 and the Concerto Competition in 2014. He went on to complete his master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with William Preucil, concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, and was also a member of the Intensive String Quartet program. He finished his schooling at the University of Michigan, studying with David Halen, concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony, and Yoonshin Song, concertmaster of the Houston Symphony, receiving his Specialist Degree in 2018.