Di Wu is a pianist, performance psychology consultant, and Mindful Self-Compassion teacher who holds a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Research in Music and Psychology from the University of Ottawa. With a professional background spanning piano performance, music pedagogy, and performance psychology, Wu has dedicated his career to helping musicians cultivate confidence, focus, motivation, and sustainable learning throughout their musical journeys.

At the heart of Wu's teaching is a commitment to fostering healthier relationships between musicians and their music, their performance experiences, and themselves. He is deeply attentive to each musician's individual needs and challenges in practice, examinations, competitions, and performance. Drawing on scientifically informed approaches to piano performance and pedagogy, Wu has extensive expertise in helping musicians navigate common challenges including arm tension and performance-related stress, empowering them to play with freedom, ease and confidence.

Wu's doctoral research brought cutting-edge findings from performance psychology into pedagogical frameworks, expanding traditional approaches to music teaching and performance. Grounded in mixed methods research, his work integrates concepts such as flow, mindfulness, self-compassion, and positive psychology into music pedagogy. This approach helps musicians develop warm, self-compassionate inner resources for navigating challenges while cultivating balanced and resilient performance strategies. His research was funded by the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

With over twenty years of teaching experience in Asia and North America, Wu has guided numerous students who have earned distinctions in competitions and gone on to study at prestigious institutions. He has also taught and conducted research at the University of Calgary and the University of Ottawa, bringing extensive experience in bilingual and cross-cultural education. As an active scholar in music education as well as music and health, he has been invited to present at leading conferences hosted by organizations including the Music Teachers National Association in the United States, the Canadian Federation of Music Teachers' Associations, and the Music and Health Research Institute.

In addition to his Ph.D., Wu holds two master's degrees in music education and piano performance, earned in China and Canada. His mentors include Geng Xie, Marilyn Engle, Gilles Comeau, Lori Burns, Andra Smith, Allan Donsky, Noa Kageyama, Kenny Werner, David Jalbert, and Merlin Thompson, among many distinguished musicians and scholars.

Wu joined the Tianjin Juilliard Public Education Music Development Program faculty team in fall 2026.