Yao-Yu Wu

Wu a réalisé la finale la plus brillante, sa gestuelle très élégante et étudiée galvanisant l'orchestre dans un Oiseau de feu électrique et dansant..Si la philosophie du concours est de récompenser une «nature», le choix est incontestable car le potentiel de Wu est énorme.”

"Wu delivered the most brilliant performance in the final round, his highly elegant and deliberate gestures electrifying the orchestra in a Firebird that was both vibrant and full of dance. If the philosophy of the competition is to reward innate artistry, then the choice is indisputable—Wu’s potential is immense."

- Le Figaro -

At the age of 24, Taiwanese conductor Yao-Yu Wu won the Grand Prize, Orchestra Prize, and Audience Prize at the prestigious International Besançon Competition for Young Conductors, becoming the youngest laureate in the competition's history to sweep all three awards. In 2023, he continued to gain international acclaim by securing Second Prize at the Hong Kong International Conducting Competition, along with the Award for Best Interpretation of the Commissioned Work and the Audience Prize.

Wu is widely praised for a conducting style that blends expressive clarity with refined elegance, captivating both orchestras and audiences alike. He currently serves as Resident Conductor of the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra. He was also Associate Conductor of the Taiwan Philharmonic (National Symphony Orchestra) during the 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons, and previously held the post of Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.

His engagements span Europe and Asia, having conducted the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine, Orchestre National de Lorraine, Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Macao Orchestra, Taiwan Philharmonic, National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, and Evergreen Symphony Orchestra. Wu has collaborated with many esteemed soloists, including Ilya Gringolts, Nai-Yuan Hu, Lang Lang, Cho-Liang Lin, Dmitry Masleev, Daniel Müller-Schott, Nemanja Radulović, Camille Thomas, Alexei Volodin, and Wen-Sinn Yang.

In 2019, Wu was invited by the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra to record Silvergrass, an album of contemporary works by composer Shih-Hui Chen, featuring pipa virtuoso Wu Man and cellist Wen-Sinn Yang. The album was released on New World Records to critical acclaim.

A passionate opera conductor, Wu led Puccini’s Tosca with the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra in 2024, receiving high praise for his collaboration with Stephen Costello, Aleksay Bogdanov, and Laura Wilde. In 2019, he served as assistant conductor to Shao-Chia Lü in the Taiwan Philharmonic’s production of Tosca, later conducting its touring performances. His earlier operatic credits include Hänsel und Gretel and La Sonnambula, both of which garnered strong professional reception.

Equally committed to education and outreach, Wu frequently delivers pre-concert talks, writes program notes, and leads lectures and masterclasses at academic and cultural institutions, sharing his deep insights on music and performance.

He was named one of the “2013 Musicians of the Year” by PAR Performing Arts Review and was nominated for the 2014 “Ten Outstanding Young Persons in Taiwan.” In pursuit of artistic growth, Wu took a sabbatical from most engagements during the 2017/18 season to pursue advanced studies at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.