Yao-Yu Wu

“Wu delivered the most brilliant performance of the final; his refined and elegantly crafted gestures galvanized the orchestra in an electrifying and dance-like Firebird. If the philosophy of the competition is to reward innate musical nature, then the choice is indisputable — Wu’s potential is immense.” — Le Figaro

Born in 1989, Taipei, he recieved training in hometown and later in Vienna, Wu has emerged as one of the most compelling young conductors of his generation. He is recognized for performances of striking structural clarity, a refined gestural language, and a vivid theatrical sense that shapes both symphonic and operatic repertoire.

At the age of twenty-four, Wu won the First Prize, Orchestra Prize, and Audience Prize at the Besançon International Conducting Competition, becoming the youngest triple-laureate in the competition’s history. In 2023, he further expanded his international profile by receiving the Second Prize, the Audience Prize, and the Prize for the Best Interpretation of the Commissioned Work at the Hong Kong International Conducting Competition — affirming both his musical instinct and his sensitivity to contemporary idioms.

Wu currently serves as Resident Conductor of the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra, acting as the orchestra’s primary artistic leader. In this role, he oversees programming, artistic planning, and long-term institutional development, shaping the orchestra through rigorous rehearsal standards, interdisciplinary collaborations, and initiatives aimed at expanding both artistic ambition and organizational capacity. His previous appointments include Associate Conductor of the Taiwan Philharmonic (National Symphony Orchestra) and Music Director of the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

His guest engagements across Europe and Asia include appearances with the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre National de Lorraine, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Taiwan Philharmonic, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, and Taipei Symphony Orchestra, among others. He has collaborated with a distinguished roster of soloists including Lang Lang, Nemanja Radulović, Daniel Müller-Schott, Ilya Gringolts, Makoto Ozone, Alexei Volodin, and Oliver Charlier. His recent tour with the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire across the Loire region was met with enthusiastic acclaim.

In opera, Wu has demonstrated a natural sense for pacing, dramatic proportion, and stage integration. Recent productions include Puccini’s Tosca (2024) with Stephen Costello, Aleksay Bogdanov, and Laura Wilde, and Verdi’s Rigoletto (2025) featuring baritone Alfredo Daza. Forthcoming projects include Puccini’s La Bohème with Riccardo Massi and Juliana Grigoryan.

Wu’s cross-genre work includes major film-with-orchestra productions, and he is officially certified by Warner Bros. as a conductor for the Harry Potter Film Concert Series.

His recording projects include “Silvergrass”, featuring works by Shih-Hui Chen with pipa virtuoso Wu Man and cellist Wen-Sinn Yang, released by New World Records and noted for its sensitive handling of contemporary language.

In 2026, Wu will lead the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra on tour in Japan, including performances at Tokyo Opera City — marking an important milestone in the orchestra’s expanding international presence and in Wu’s own artistic trajectory.

A committed advocate for education and outreach, Wu regularly engages as presenter, lecturer, and writer. He was named “Musician of the Year” by PAR Performing Arts Review and was a finalist for Taiwan’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award.