Yue Yu

Viola

Yue Yu, born in Shenzhen, China, in 1997, moved abroad at 18 and has since made her name in the UK, Austria and Germany. Yue was named a Classic FM 2022 »Rising Star«. She won first prizes at the 2021 Hindemith Concorso and 2019 Stockport International Young Musicians Competition, amongst others. The violist gained her Bachelor’s degree from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, followed by Master’s and postgraduate studies at the Universität Mozarteum Salzburg with Thomas Riebl.

From 2023 to 2025, Yue Yu was an academist with the Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Since August 2025, she has served as Principal Violist with the Magdeburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Elsewhere, she is also a frequent guest with the Salzburg Camerata and the Ensemble Esperanza. A passionate chamber musician, she has collaborated with inspiring artists such as Steven Isserlis, Steven Doane, Clive Greensmith, Pavel Gililov and Helena Winkelman. Her Naxos debut album, recorded at age 22 and featuring works by Britten, Imogen Holst and Bowen, earned international praise. Yue Yu plays an 1865 Enrico Ceruti viola, generously on loan from the Hepner Foundation.