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May Yu
May Yu is a New York–based classical and jazz violinist and music business professional bridging performance, education, and music business across the modern music industry.
About Me
May Yu is a Chinese-Canadian violinist, educator, and music business professional based in New York City.
Trained in classical performance from a young age, she began playing violin at four and later earned her
Bachelor of Music with honors from the University of Toronto and continued her studies at the Manhattan
School of Music, where she completed her Master of Music in Violin Performance with the President’s
Award, studying classical violin with Lucie Robert and jazz violin with Regina Carter.
During her undergraduate years, May discovered jazz, a turning point that reshaped her artistic voice.
Drawn to its freedom and expressive depth, she pursued jazz violin more seriously after moving to New
York. Since then, she has performed at iconic venues including Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center and the
Apollo Theater, and has appeared as a featured soloist with Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society. She is
also currently a violinist in Misha Piatigorsky’s jazz quartet and trio, contributing to the revival of Sketchy
Black Dog, a project originally launched over 15 years ago that toured internationally.
Alongside her performance career, May is completing a Master of Arts in Music Business at NYU. Her work
spans publicity, marketing, sync, music publihsing, and community programming, including her role as an
Entertainment Publicity Intern at Shore Fire Media and her leadership in international music initiatives such
as Indie Week and SCREENxSCREEN. She is particularly interested in publicity, event programming, and
artist development, with a focus on building more sustainable and inclusive ecosystems for artists. She
also serves as Student Co-President of NYU’s Music Business Graduate Program, where she creates and
leads numerous community and professional development initiatives for fellow students.
As an educator, May teaches violin and beginner piano, emphasizing a holistic approach that integrates ear
training, theory, and personal expression. Her interdisciplinary background also includes published
research on the mental health benefits of music therapy.
Across her work, May brings together performance, education, and industry practice, with the goal of
amplifying artists’ voices and contributing to a more connected, equitable, and forward-thinking music
industry.
