Professional Summary
Avan Yu, DMA, will join CCM's faculty as Assistant Professor of Piano in Fall 2025.
One of Canada’s most compelling pianists, Yu has been praised for his “glittering virtuosity” (The West Australian) and “astonishing sensitivity” (La Presse). He has performed extensively across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, appearing at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Philharmonie in Berlin, Salle Cortot in Paris and the Sydney Opera House.
As a sought-after guest soloist, Yu has performed over 30 different piano concertos with leading ensembles including the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada, Vancouver Symphony, Victoria Symphony, Symphony Nova Scotia, Sydney Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia, Hong Kong Philharmonic and Dresden Philharmonic. He has collaborated with renowned conductors and musicians such as Jaap van Zweden, Pinchas Zukerman, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Bramwell Tovey, Christian Arming, Juanjo Mena, Yo-Yo Ma and Johannes Moser. Following his acclaimed debut with Jaap van Zweden and the Hong Kong Philharmonic in 2021, Yu was immediately re-engaged as featured soloist for the orchestra’s 2022 season-opening concerts, once again under van Zweden’s baton.
Yu first gained international recognition in 2008 with top honors at the XVI Paloma O’Shea Santander International Piano Competition in Spain, where he received the Silver Medal and Audience Prize. That same year, he claimed First Prize at the Missouri Southern International Piano Competition. At 17, he became the youngest competitor ever to win the Canadian Chopin Piano Competition. In 2012, he took First Prize at the Sydney International Piano Competition of Australia, along with nine special awards.
His principal teachers include Horacio Gutiérrez, Klaus Hellwig, Kenneth Broadway, Ralph Markham and Kut Kau Sum. Yu graduated from the Universität der Künste Berlin with a Konzertexamen degree and earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Manhattan School of Music in New York. His doctoral thesis focused on Hans Abrahamsen’s Left, alone for piano left hand and orchestra—a work he introduced to Canadian audiences with the Esprit Orchestra and Alex Pauk in Toronto.
Yu’s recording of Liszt’s piano transcriptions of Schubert’s Winterreise and Schwanengesang, released by Naxos, received glowing reviews from critics at Gramophone Magazine, American Record Guide and Fono Forum.
In addition to his performing career, Yu serves as the Artistic and Executive Director of Muzewest Concerts Society, an organization dedicated to advancing youth engagement with the performing arts and expanding the reach of live music through innovative programming. Yu has served on the juries of competitions such as the WPTA Young Concert Artists International Piano Competition and the Canadian Chopin Piano Competition and is frequently invited to adjudicate at international festivals and competitions. Yu currently teaches piano at the Berlin University of the Arts.