Biography
Dr. Yu holds doctorate degree in Piano Performance at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University under the tutelage of Daniel Epstein. Dr. Yu was the first prize winner of Rutgers Concerto Competition in 2020, and performed Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto with Rutgers Orchestra Symphony at Nicolas Music Center, New Brunswick in 2022. She was a second-prize winner of Harvard Musical Association Foote Award 2021. As a dedicated music educator, Dr. Yu has maintained a busy teaching studio at local piano school since 2021. Many of her students have won prestigious piano competition, including the Little Mozart International Competition, Charleston International Music Competition and Princeton Piano Competition (Princeton Festival) 2022. Moreover, some was leading to performances in Carnegie Hall.
Before Dr. Yu joined Rutgers, she obtained her Master degree of Music (piano performance) at NYU Steinhardt where she studied under the guidance of the well-known concert pianist Jeffrey Swann. During the study at NYU, Dr. Yu was also the first place winner of NYU Piano Concerto Competition in 2018 and performed Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No 2 in G minor, Op 22 with NYU orchestra in 2019 at the Frederick Loewe Theatre, NYC. She was also appointed as an Adjunct Faculty at NYU, giving weekly private teaching to non-music major undergrads and keyboard skills group classes for music major/minor students. Dr. Yu earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Lee University, Cleveland Tennessee, where she received full scholarships during her studied. During her undergraduate, Dr. Yu received Second Prize at the 2012 Lee University International Piano Competition, Honorable Mention in 2014 MTNA/TMTA Young Artist Competitions and Third Prize in The 13th Taipei Youth Chopin Piano Competition 2017 (1st and 2nd not awarded). And she was the winner of SAU Concerto Competition and Lee University Concerto Competition Gold Prize Winner performed with the Symphony Orchestra later on in March 2014 in performance of Liszt Totentanz at Conn Center, Cleveland, Tennessee.
In her early years of study, Yu won several competitions, including the Mandarin Chinese Daily Piano Competition, the Yamaha Piano Competition, the Taipei Music Competition, the Seidorf and Sons Piano Competition and The New Art piano competition.
Dr.Yu enjoys a varied career as a concert pianist, chamber musician, and educator. She is currently served as the Staff Pianist at Rutgers University. In addition to enjoying working with diverse learners, and look forward to help shape a new generation of young musicians.