Vanessa Yu
Senior Division
Mazurka in B flat minor, op. 24, no. 4
Nocturne in E major, op. 62, no. 2
Etude in G-sharp minor, op. 25, no. 6
Etude in F major, op. 10, no. 8
Scherzo No. 4 in E major, op. 54
Named one of CBC Music's top 30 musicians under 30, Canadian pianist Vanessa Yu is establishing herself as a sensitive and vibrant musician. As the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Pacific Rim International Music Festival, she was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.
Vanessa has presented solo and chamber programs in Italy, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, the United States, and across Canada. As a finalist at the Classicalia competition, she performed at the Vienna Konzerthaus in a concert televised by PBS SoCal and Stingray Classica. Vanessa has also had recordings nationally broadcasted on CBC Music, in addition to being featured on OMNI Television and 680 News. She recently recorded a number of newly commissioned Canadian voice-piano works for the Universal label in a project with the Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra.
A seasoned concerto soloist, Vanessa has performed concerti with the Central Texas Philharmonic, Vienna Opera Ball, Toronto Concert, Mississauga Symphony, Oakville Chamber, Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber, York Symphony, Burlington Symphony, North York Concert, and Etobicoke Philharmonic orchestras. Upcoming engagements include Saint-Saëns’ Fifth Concerto with the Kindred Spirits Orchestra.
Garnering awards in Canada and beyond, Vanessa has received top prizes at the Chicago, Città di San Donà di Piave, and Eisemann international competitions, among others, as well as the Steinway and CMC national competitions.
Vanessa recently graduated from the University of Toronto where she was a full scholarship student. She is currently pursuing Master’s studies at the Peabody Conservatory in the studio of Boris Slutsky. Vanessa previously studied with Michael Berkovsky and Victoria Gimelshtein, and has played in masterclasses for 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 Markham and OMFA provincials. She has also led masterclasses, adjudicated for ORMTA, and taught workshops for Google.
vanessayu.com