PERFORMER BIOGRAPHIES

Named one of CBC Music's top 30 classical musicians under 30, Canadian pianist Vanessa Yu is establishing herself as a sensitive and charismatic musician. Raised in Toronto and currently based in Baltimore, Vanessa has given solo performances in Italy, Germany, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, the United States, and across Canada at venues including Carnegie’s Weill Hall, the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Bradley Symphony Center, and the Chautauqua Amphitheater.

Vanessa has had recordings broadcasted on CBC Music, in addition to being featured on OMNI Television and 680 News. As a finalist at the Classicalia competition, her concerto performance with the Vienna Opera Ball Orchestra was televised by PBS SoCal and Stingray Classica. Recent recording projects include premieres of commissioned Canadian voice-piano works, recorded with soprano Maghan McPhee on the Akashic Classics label with distribution through Universal. Produced by the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, the album will be released in 2025.

A seasoned concerto soloist, Vanessa has performed Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Saint-Saëns concerti with several orchestras. She has garnered awards in Canada and beyond, receiving prizes at the Chicago international, Eisemann international, and PianoArts North American competitions, among others.

Vanessa graduated from the University of Toronto where she was a full scholarship BMusPerf student under the tutelage of Steven Philcox and Enrico Elisi. She is currently pursuing Master’s studies at the Peabody Conservatory in the studio of Boris Slutsky. Vanessa has also played in masterclasses for renowned musicians including Robert McDonald, Julian Martin, Jerome Lowenthal, and John Perry.

Inspired by her mentors, Vanessa enjoys teaching; her students have won awards at competitions including the International Music Festival and Competition in Ontario and OMFA provincials. In addition, she has recently led masterclasses and adjudicated in Ontario and Maryland. A passionate educator beyond music, Vanessa has also taught design-based workshops at Google and post-secondary institutions.

Sinfonia Toronto now in its 26th season, has toured twice in Europe, in the US, South America and China, receiving glowing reviews. It has released six CD’s, including a JUNO Award winner, and performs in many Ontario cities. Its extensive repertoire includes all the major string orchestra works of the 18th through 21st centuries, and it has premiered many new works. Under the baton of Nurhan Arman the orchestra’s performances present outstanding international guest artists and prominent Canadian musicians.

Maestro Nurhan Arman has conducted throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Canada and the US, returning regularly to many orchestras in Europe. Among the orchestras Maestro Arman has conducted are the Moscow Philharmonic, Deutsches Kammerorchester Frankfurt, Filarmonica Italiana, St. Petersburg State Hermitage Orchestra, Orchestre Regional d’Ile de France, Hungarian Symphony, Arpeggione Kammerorchester, Milano Classica and Belgrade Philharmonic.