En Shao is Principal Guest Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra and previously Chief Conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra.

In the UK Maestro Shao has conducted the London Symphony, Royal Philharmonic, Hallé, Bournemouth, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestras and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Elsewhere, recent engagements include performances with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta Filarmonica de Malaga, KwaZulu Natal Philharmonic, the RTV Slovenian Orchestra at the Robeco Series in Amsterdam, the Orchestre de Picardie, Orchester Musikkollegium Winterthur, China National Symphony Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra, and Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. En Shao is very committed to developing young talent and regularly guest conducts the Royal Northern College of Music Symphony Orchestra, and he is Patron of the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra, who he conducted for their 50th Anniversary Gala Concert. He is also a regular visitor to the United States and Canada, working with the orchestras of Colorado, Phoenix and Vancouver, and has undertaken engagements in Australia and New Zealand.

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.