Yuan-Qing Yu joined the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1995. A year later, Daniel Barenboim appointed her assistant concertmaster. An international award-winning violinist, she leads an active life as a soloist, chamber musician, teacher and advocate for the Orchestra.

A native of Shanghai, China, Yuan-Qing Yu won the Chinese Nationwide Violin Competition at the age of 17. The following year, she captured second prize in the Menuhin International Violin Competition. She was awarded the grand prize in the Holland Music Sessions World Concert Tour Competition two years later. She also took third grand prize in the Jacques Thibaud International Competition in Paris.

Yuan-Qing Yu has given numerous critically acclaimed performances as featured soloist with the CSO, the Monte Carlo and Radio France philharmonics and the London City Orchestra. She has performed concertos under Christoph von Dohnányi, Sir Yehudi Menuhin and James DePreist, among others. She also has appeared in recital throughout the U.S. and Europe. An active chamber musician, Yuan-Qing Yu has collaborated with Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, Menahem Pressler, Lang Lang and Yo-Yo Ma. Locally, she can be seen and heard regularly throughout the city in various venues. Her performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is available for download at beyondthescore.org/video_vivaldi.html.

Yuan-Qing Yu is on the faculty of Roosevelt University in Chicago and Valparaiso University in Indiana.

Yuan-Qing Yu and her CSO colleagues founded Civitas Ensemble, a nonprofit organization, in 2011. Please visit yuanqingyu.com and civitasensemble.org for more information.

January 2012