Born in Tianjin in China, En Shao started to play the piano and violin at the ages of four and five respectively and by the age of 18 was working as a composer, pianist and percussionist with a local orchestra.  After graduating from the Beijing Central Conservatory he became second Principal Conductor of the Chinese Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra, a post he held for five years and Principal Guest Conductor of the Central Philharmonic Orchestra of China and the National Youth Orchestra of China.

He was awarded the Lord Rhodes Fellowship at the Royal Northern College of Music, when he came to England in 1988, and in the same year he received the first Edward Van Beinum Foundation Scholarship.  As winner of the Sixth Hungarian Television International Conductor’s Competition in 1989 he conducted several performances with the Hungarian Radio Orchestra and the State Symphony Orchestra.  In January 1990 he became Associate Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, a post created especially for him.  Between 1992 – 1995 he was Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the Ulster Orchestra, with whom he made his Proms debut, and has also held the positions of Principal Guest Conductor of the Euskadi Orchestra in Spain, Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Macau Orchestra, and Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra.

En Shao has a wide range of interests including Chinese cuisine, contemporary interior design and architecture and jazz. He also takes a particular interest in environmental issues.