May Yu

Since: 2026 | Position: Contributor | Location: New York City | Page Views: 295

Contact Me Subscriber Pro

About Me

May Yu is a New York–based classical and jazz violinist, music business professional, and All About Jazz contributor whose work bridges performance, education, writing, and the modern music industry.

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.

Badge

Tier

Explorer

Points Earned

339

Favorite Musicians / Bands

May Yu

My Jazz Story

I started playing violin when I was 4, very much in the classical world. But in undergrad, I started getting into jazz, and that’s when everything shifted for me. It felt so personal, free, alive, and inspiring. I remember it was at the Rex Jazz Bar in Toronto- my friends had arranged “The Garden” from Brad Mehldau’s album Finding Gabriel (my fav of all time!!!). That was a life-changing gig. After that, I kept bugging my friends to teach me jazz, so I started learning during my free time. That led me to study jazz more seriously. I came to NYC and had the privilege of studying jazz violin at MSM with Regina Carter, which was a huge turning point. It’s funny because before I came to NYC, I had this dream of playing at a real jazz club in New York, so getting my first gig at Dizzy’s Club felt kind of unreal. I was also a featured soloist with Darcy James Argue’s big band, which was crazy to me, my first ever jazz gig...!!! After that, I’ve soloed at the Apollo Theater and played at bars around NYC. I’ve also played in a folk fusion jazz band as the lead violinist. Now, I’m also really excited to be part of Misha Piatigorsky’s jazz quartet and trio, bringing back Sketchy Black Dog, a project he started 15+ years ago that toured internationally. I love jazz even more because it mirrors life. You’re constantly improvising, listening, adjusting, just figuring things out in real time. It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being present.