Yifan Wu

“With its unique magic power and fascination, classical music is a treasure for our generation, and it waits for us to explore its beauty. It provides us with opportunities to reflect on ourselves and the world. It involves human history, emotions, artistry, which are shared by people around the world. Though we don’t speak the same language, we are touched by the same piece of music. It helps unite people of my generation together and encourages us to strive for peace and love.” When he was very young, Yifan Wu’s grandmother would play the piano for him, and his mother shared this same passion for music. He started lessons when he was 4 and began to fall in love with the piano. At age 9, he was admitted to the Music Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where he has been awarded scholarships each academic year. He says his teacher, Ting Zhou, taught him “to learn music enthusiastically. Now music brings me happiness and gives me greater motivation to learn it further.” He made his recital debut at Steinway Hall in his native Shanghai and his concerto debut with the Wuhan Philharmonic Orchestra, both in 2019. A laureate of several national Chinese competitions, including four first-place finishes, he has not competed since 2018, making the Cliburn Junior his first in five years. He comes to Dallas seeing it as “a good opportunity to improve my piano skills, have a further understanding of music, and most importantly, tap my artistic potential.” Yifan is involved in his school’s badminton club—with weekly matches and/or lectures about the sport—and community cycling team. He also enjoys reading and camping.