A pianist and organist based in Kansas , Dr. Peiyao Yu has recently completed her D.M.A. degree in Piano Performance under Dr. Jack Winerock and Dr. Michael Kirkendoll at the University of Kansas. A dedicated advocate for the music of the living composers, Dr. Yu’s dissertation “Out of the Box: Learning and Preparing for From the Same Melancholy Fate by Eve Beglarian” focused on a multi-disciplinary, improvisatory electronic music. In 2018, she soloed with orchestra, performing Tchaikovsky piano concerto No.1, in "Santa Cecilia" Hall, Perugia, Italy. She has also held multiple recitals in both China, USA and Europe. Dr. Yu was the first prize winner at Classical Music Competition of Charleston International Competition and Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition in 2022. In 2021, she was selected as the Best Schumann Performance and Best Prokofiev Performance in International Music Competitions. Having solidified her expertise in piano, Dr. Yu has now embarked on an exciting new journey exploring the realm of organ performance. Starting in the fall of 2022, she has been pursuing a new Master’s degree in Church Music under Dr. James Higdon.

Dr. Yu received her Master’s degree from the University of Michigan, where she double majored in piano performance and chamber music performance with Dr. Arthur Greene. During her master’s years, She also discovered her talent for the organ with Dr. James Kibbie and was selected to join an interdisciplinary research team headed by Dr. Kibbie and Dr. Daniel Forger from the Department of Mathematics. This collaborative project focused on how the brain processes music, through detailed study of the Johann Sebastian Bach’s Six Sonatas (BWV 525-530).

Currently, Dr. Yu works as an Associate Organist in Country Club Christian Church at Kansas City, Missouri. When not devoted into music, she enjoys detective stories, great food and crocheting. Additionally, she serves as the website director of KU’s Asian Classical Music Initiative.

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A pianist based in Kansas and specializing in contemporary works, Peiyao has recently completed her D.M.A. degree under Dr. Jack Winerock and Dr. Michael Kirkendoll at the University of Kansas. Passed all graduation exams with honors, Peiyao’s dissertation “Out of the Box: Learning and Preparing for From the Same Melancholy Fate by Eve Beglarian” focused on an improvisatory electronic music. She believes that contemporary piano music has infinite possibilities and is committed to explore, experiment, take risks, live and learn new music.

In 2018, she soloed with orchestra, performing Tchaikovsky piano concerto No.1, in "Santa Cecilia" Hall, Perugia, Italy. She has also held multiple recitals in both China, USA and Europe. Peiyao was the first prize winner at Classical Music Competition of Charleston International Competition and Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition in 2022. In 2021, she was selected as the Best Schumann Performance and Best Prokofiev Performance in International Music Competitions. In addition, she was a laureate of XI° Concorso Internazionale Per Giovani Musicisti, Yangtze River Piano cup Youth Piano Competition and the recipient of Yamaha Music Scholarship, Betty Hamilton Boyle Scholarship.

Internationally, Peiyao has attended New Music On the Point (Vermont), Music Fest Perugia (Italy), Shanghai International Piano Festival&Institute (Shanghai), and Shenzhen Piano Festival (China). She had performed in many prestigious masterclasses including Boris Slutsky, Robert McDonald, Douglas Humphreys, Norman Krieger, Gila Goldstein, Jerome Lowenthal and more. As a contemporary pianist, she has been fortunate enough to play for composers such as Eve Beglarian, Amy Beth Kirsten, Trevor Weston, Amy Williams.

Peiyao holds an M.M. degree with Dr. Arthur Greene from the University of Michigan. During her master years, she double majored in both piano performance and chamber music performance which she was coached by Katherine Collier, Matt Albert, Amy I-Lin Cheng and Martin Katz. As a chamber musician, Peiyao held several chamber concerts and was selected twice into the chamber music series held in Bloomfield township public library which were broadcasted on local TV. She has been playing for Lawrence Opera Theatre for two years.

Peiyao discovered her talent on organ during master years with Dr. James Kibbie and was specially selected to join a unique, interdisciplinary research focusing on analyzing how data science can interpret music during master years. During the third year of her D.M.A. degree in the University of Kansas, she relaunched her organ study with Dr. James Higdon and was honored to be invited into the program of Olivier Latry Residency. Starting from 2022 Fall, Peiyao is pursuing a new M.M. degree in Church Music from the University of Kansas.

To be more than a musician, Peiyao is the website director of KU’s Asian Classical Music Initiative. She has experiences on website design, picture editing and audio/video production. Besides, she has over 10 years of teaching experience and worked as graduate teaching assistant during her D.M.A. degree, teaching both elementary keyboard skills classes and private piano lessons. When not devoted into music study, Peiyao enjoys detective stories, great food and crocheting.