Yilun Xu

An avid performer across China, the United States, and Europe, pianist Yilun Xu has played in prestigious venues such as the Forbidden City Concert Hall, Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center, Paul Hall at Lincoln Center, Harris Concert Hall in Aspen, and Seaside Library in Aranya. She has also performed in Spain’s Gijón outdoor concert series and Italy’s Amalfi Music Hall. Selected as a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist by NPR’s From the Top, a national program showcasing America’s best young classical musicians, Yilun continues to receive recognition for her compelling artistry. Her live performances have been broadcast multiple times on WQXR, and she has been invited to give solo recitals as part of the renowned Shriver Hall Concert Series. In addition to her distinguished career in the United States, she continues to captivate audiences with her dynamic performances during her 2024 China tour. Yilun has also performed as an invited soloist at significant national events in China, including the 34th Fei Tian Awards Ceremony, the 28th Starlight Awards Ceremony, and the 2025 “Happy Chinese New Year, Five Continents in Harmony” Global Spring Festival Celebration.

She has won numerous competitions, earning first prizes in the Elite International Music Competition, Golden Key International Piano Competition, Chappaqua Orchestra Concerto Competition, and Yale Gordon Piano Competition. She has also performed with renowned orchestras such as the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, Aspen Festival Orchestra, Chappaqua Orchestra, and Peabody Symphony Orchestra. Notably, she has collaborated with world-renowned conductor Marin Alsop.

Beyond her concert career, Yilun has been a featured artist at major music festivals, including the BIMFA On the Road International Music Festival & Academy at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, University of Florida International Piano Festival, Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival in Italy, Gijón International Piano Festival in Spain, and the Aspen Music Festival.

Yilun began to study piano when she was four years old. At age ten, she was accepted into the elementary school affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, followed by the middle school division. She then moved to the USA in 2012 to enroll in The Juilliard School’s Pre-College program under the tutelage of Professor Yoheved Kaplinsky. Yilun subsequently earned her bachelor’s degree from the Columbia-Juilliard Exchange Program, merging her Juilliard music concentration with a comprehensive Columbia humanities education, and completed her master’s degree under both Kaplinsky and Hung Kuan Chen. Currently, Yilun is pursuing her doctoral degree at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University with Yong Hi Moon.  

Beyond music, Yilun engages her scholarly interests through diverse coursework. She also serves her surrounding communities with her active dedication to student organizations. As the President of the Juilliard Chinese Student & Scholars Association from 2018 to 2022, her leadership proved her an ideal interdisciplinary ambassador for her colleagues as well as her own cultural roots. She encouraged awareness and appreciation for various aspects of Chinese culture to her school communities through her advocacy for Chinese orchestral music, and collaborated to organize gala concerts through partnerships with the Ivy League and other schools.  

Yilun is a Young Steinway Artist.