At 22 years of age, Canadian pianist Avan Yu has performed in recital and as soloist with orchestras on four continents, consistently captivating audiences with his extraordinary musicianship. Avan made his New York debut at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in the fall of 2008 after winning Silver Medal at the 16th Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition in the same year. He first came to national attention by winning first prize at the Canadian Chopin Competition at the age of seventeen, and is the only pianist to win First Prize in both the Junior and Senior Divisions of the Missouri Southern International Piano Competition.

Most recently, he debuted as soloist with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa under the baton of Music Director Pinchas Zukerman in a performance of Chopin's Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise, followed by Chopin's Polonaise brilliante with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and then introduced the Canadian Prime Minister in his surprise appearance onstage at the same gala.

Avan Yu first performed with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at the age of fourteen in a performance of Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, and has formed a special relationship with an orchestra that has embraced him ever since. After four engagements in subsequent years, he appeared as featured soloist on the orchestra's first national tour of Canada in thirty years with appearances at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Place des Arts in Montreal and Ottawa's National Arts Centre.

Avan has also performed with orchestras such as the Dresden Philharmonic (with Rafael Fruehbeck de Burgos), Victoria Symphony, Orchestre Philharmonique of Morocco, Ottawa Symphony, Xiamen Philharmonic in China, Windsor Symphony, Real Filharmonía de Galicia, B.C. Chinese Orchestra, and Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra.

His performances have been broadcast live on WQXR in New York, CBC in Canada, NDR Kultur Hamburg, Spanish National Radio and Television, in addition to recitals for organizations such as UNESCO, Chopin Club in Warsaw, Animato in Paris, Canadian Vocal and Performing Arts Society, Jeunesses Musicales Canada and Debut Atlantic.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Vancouver, he currently studies at the University of Fine Arts in Berlin with Prof. Klaus Hellwig and chamber music with the Artemis Quartet. His other principal teachers include the renowned piano-duo Kenneth Broadway and Ralph Markham.