Pre-College, Ensemble Coach

Yen Yu grew up in Wuhan, China into a musical family. She studied violin with her father at an early age, and at age 14 entered the Wuhan Conservatory of Music to study under the tutelage of Professor Xin-Min Zhou. 

In 1982, Yu was chosen by world renowned violin pedagogue Ms. Dorothy DeLay, as a full scholarship student, to study with her at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and later at The Juilliard School in New York City. Yu also studied with Kurt Sassmannshaus, Masao Kawasaki, and Robert Murray, and has spent many summers at the Aspen, Grand Teton, and Tanglewood Music Festivals. 

Before moving to Montclair, New Jersey, Yu worked more than 10 years as a core member with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra in Richmond, Virginia. Yu also taught at both Virginia Commonwealth University and University of Richmond in Virginia. Yu has performed as soloist with orchestras in China, Europe, Mexico, and in the United States. Yu is an active chamber musician and solo recitalist. 

Yen Yu is passionate about her mission as a teacher and classical music ambassador to nurture  the next generation of musicians. Since 2014, she is the Director of Chamber Music Dolomiti in San Gregorio nelle Alpi-Belluno, Italy and founder of the Montclair Arts Center in Montclair, New Jersey, USA. Yu is a faculty member with The Tianjin Juilliard School’s Pre-College and Public Education divisions. She also teaches at Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA.