Ni Hai-ye is principal cellist with the Asia-Pacific United Orchestra.

Ni Hai-ye has a "Tiger Mom", who forced her to learn the violin at the tender age of 4, and then the cello at 7. "It was a smaller cello, the kind for kids, though," she explains.

But the principal cellist of the Philadelphia Orchestra is not complaining.

"My mom was not too terrible. She would let me play with other kids. So it was not playing cello all day," she says.

Around the age of 16 or 18, Ni grew to like music making. She appreciates the sacrifices her parents had made for her. She was attending the elementary school attached to the Shanghai Music Conservatory when she emigrated to San Francisco with her parents. Later, her parents wanted to pursue their careers back in China, but for the sake of their daughter's music training, they decided to stay on in the US.

Fortunately, Ni was such a top student in every school she attended that there was never any doubt she would make it in the competitive world of classical music. At 19, she won first prize for the Naumburg Competition, an event held once every four years. In 1999, she auditioned for the New York Philharmonic and was hired by maestro Kurt Masur as an associate principal cellist.

"A lot of people, including teachers, helped me along the way. But New York, where I spent a total of 14 years, was hard. I had to rely on myself most of the time. It was competitive behind the facade of a smooth ride," Ni recalls.

Her seven years with the New York Philharmonic gave her an opportunity to "learn so much great music". Previously as a student, Ni played mostly chamber music and solo pieces. But working in a big and eminent orchestra enabled her to play large-scale works such as symphonies.

"I'm a quick learner," she explains. "We would play four concerts a week. Every Tuesday we would learn new pieces, which we would perform that Thursday, with only two days for rehearsal."

Ni says she is naturally drawn to the classical and romantic repertory. But she is not afraid of playing unfamiliar music.

"A musician is like an actor. You have to understand the role, the psychology of the character. You have to be that person, and bring it outside yourself."

To prepare new pieces, she would read up on the literature and other art forms of the country and era that gave rise to the musical composition.

Ni enjoys making live music. "Every time you find something different. Every show can be a challenge. It's up to me to make it worthwhile," she says.

Having been working at the respected Philadelphia Orchestra since 2006, Ni takes the current tour of the Asia-Pacific United Orchestra both seriously and lightheartedly.

She is the principal cellist for the tour. When asked whether so many musicians - all principals in their own orchestras - would have a clash of personalities, she laughs: "This is a 12-day tour. There's no time for that."