Four New String Players Appointed to the Philadelphia Orchestra

Cellists Jiayin He, Michael Katz, and Eugene Lin, and violist Hsiang-Hsin Ching will join the orchestra

The Philadelphia Orchestra has announced the appointment of four new players: cellists Jiayin He, Michael Katz, and Eugene Lin, and violist Hsiang-Hsin Ching. Katz, Ching, and Lin will start in April, May, and September 2025, respectively, while He is already playing with the orchestra, having stepped into the role in February.

Jiayin He is currently studying for a master's degree at the Curtis Institute, where he also received his undergraduate degree. Originally from Shanghai, his solo debut (Haydn's C-major Cello Concerto) came at age 11. He has won top prizes at the Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld International String Competition, Aiqin Chinese National Cello Competition, Knushevitsky International Cello Competition, David Popper International Cello Competition, and the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition. 

Israeli cellist Michael Katz studied with Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory, Joel Krosnick at the Juilliard School, and Colin Carr at SUNY Stony Brook. The winner of the Juilliard Concerto Competition and all three prizes at the 2011 Aviv Competition, he is the cellist of the acclaimed Lysander Piano Trio and has performed in some of the most renowned venues in the United States. Katz is also passionate about new music and has premiered works by more than 50 composers.

Cellist Eugene Lin has played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and has held principal cello roles with the Pacific Music Festival, the American Youth Symphony, and the Colburn Orchestra. He studied with Clive Greensmith, Ben Hong, Ronald Leonard, and Hans Jensen, and is currently pursuing a Professional Studies Certificate at the Colburn Conservatory of Music. 

Taiwanese violist Hsiang-Hsin Ching is studying at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where her teacher is Choong-Jin Chang. She has been a fellow at festivals such as the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Taipei Music Academy and Festival, Aspen School of Music and Festival, and the New York String Orchestra — and her work as a recording engineer has been recognized with the Gold Award of the Audio Engineering Society.

"Jiayin, Michael, Eugene, and Hsiang-Hsin each bring incredible talent, a true passion for music-making, and an energetic spirit for collaboration," said Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. "They will be invaluable members of their respective sections and to the Orchestra as a whole. I look forward to working with them and to witnessing their contributions to the Orchestra’s world-renowned string section."