Pianist/composer/conductor Julian Yu currently serves as the artistic director of Joyous Music School, Piano Masters of New York and New York International Youth Philharmonic. He is also the chairperson of the Solomon Mikowsky Music Competition. Under his leadership, his students have performed in more than 50 TV shows including Good Morning America (ABC), The Today Show (NBC), Ellen Show (NBC), Little Big Shots (NBC), Kids Say (ABC), Sesame Street’s Not Too Late Show with Elmo (HBO) and Harry Show (FOX).

Julian Yu was born in Shanghai, China, and started to study the piano at an early age and soon displayed special talents for music. His remarkable piano performance earned him a place in China’s prestigious Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he studied under Da-Chun Yu. He was the first prize winner of the Shanghai Competition for Young Pianists, a contest that drew first-class young contestants from the city and other parts of the country. He was also a prize winner in the Hong Kong International Competition. At the age of 15, he performed the Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. For his distinguished achievements and records, the Ministry of Culture of China awarded him the Bao-Gang Prize, which only goes to a select few. In 1994, Julian’s burgeoning talents caught the eye of the Manhattan School of Music, which offered him a full scholarship. Embarking upon a new pursuit of his music profession, Julian came to New York and joined the Manhattan School of Music, where he trained under Solomon Mikowsky and Donn-Alexandre Feder. In 1999, he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music, and two years later, in 2001, he received his Master’s Degree in Music from the same school. Julian was a recipient of the Elva Van Gelder Memorial Award and Levy Blanche Award. He was the 1st prize winner of the MTL Piano Competition at Carnegie Hall and the Dora Zaslavsky Koch Competition. He was also a prize winner in the Berkley Piano Competition. As a soloist, Julian has performed with numerous world-class symphony orchestras in Spain, Canada, the United States, Korea, and China under ranking conductors Zdenek Macal, Lawrence Smith, Noorman Widjaja, Kim Nan Se, Park Jung-Oh, and Guo-Yong Zhang. Julian is also a composer of the cross-over genre. His music is filled with warmth and sentimentalism. There is intensity beneath tranquility; there are vivid images portrayed by his captivating melody; there is depth and sophistication mingled with elegance and simplicity. He has recorded and published seven CDs. Among them, “Winter Sonata”, Silky Sky, and Reverie had been released by YBM, SONY-BMG, and AMC. His piano book “26 Lyrical Pieces by Julian Yu” made him the most sought-after contemporary composer of the Modern-Romantic genre. All his inspirations and ideas spring from his true love for life, rendering his music more genuine and heartfelt. His strong background as a classical pianist allows him to play any music with great sensitivity and nuance, delivering a profound musical and emotional appeal to the audience. He is, in CODA Magazine’s words, “redefining Contemporary music with passion and love.”