Organist

Carillonneur

Pianist

Organist Carillonneur Pianist

Described as "a firecracker at the console" by the American Guild of Organists, Dr. Peiyao Yu has established herself as one of the most versatile keyboard artists of her generation. With virtuosic command across piano, organ, and the rare carillon, her performances bridge centuries of repertoire while championing the works of underrepresented living composers.

Dr. Yu's commitment to contemporary music has included world premieres and performances of works by composers such as Eve Beglarian, Amy Beth Kirsten, Lori Laitman, Tonia Ko and many others. Selected for both the prestigious New Music on the Point Festival and "SHE" Festival, her doctoral research explored the intersection of electronic music and classical piano performance, with her dissertation centering on Eve Beglarian's "From the Same Melancholy Fate." This groundbreaking work has resonated with the composers themselves, establishing Dr. Yu as a vital voice in expanding the contemporary musical landscape.

As a solo artist, Dr. Yu has earned gold at the 2022 Charleston International Music Competition and second prize at Italy's "CITTA 'DI MASSA" International Piano Competition. Her interpretive strengths were recognized with Best Schumann Performance and Best Prokofiev Performance awards at the 2021 International Music Competitions. She made her orchestral debut performing Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 at the Perugia Music Festival in Italy. As a chamber musician, she co-founded the "Almost Quartet" trio, which debuted at Curtis Theatre in California and has since performed at Carnegie Hall and Neidorff-Karpati Hall at the Manhattan School of Music.

Dr. Yu's mastery of the organ has earned her featured performances at the American Guild of Organists' French Organ Music Festival and the prestigious Reuter Organ Company's 105th Anniversary celebration. Her expertise extends to the carillon—a keyboard connected to massive bells—making her one of the few professional performers of this centuries-old instrument in North America. During her studies at the University of Michigan, she was uniquely selected as the only non-organ major for a cross-disciplinary research project analyzing Bach's Six Sonatas.

Dr. Yu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kansas, where she studied with Dr. Jack Winerock and Dr. Michael Kirkendoll. Her musical education spans three degrees from American institutions, including a master's degree with a double major from the University of Michigan under Dr. Arthur Greene and a second master's in church music from the University of Kansas, where she studied with Dr. James Higdon and one of the four titular organists of Notre-Dame de Pari Olivier Latry.

Beyond performing, Dr. Yu serves as Creative Advisor for the Asian Classical Music Initiative. She is currently the Organist at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church in Studio City, where she continues to balance traditional church music with her advocacy for musical diversity. When not performing or advocating for underrepresented composers, Dr. Yu can be found organizing concerts with friends, traveling, and exploring new dimensions of herself—her latest adventure being a solo skydiving experience.