Since making her debut as soloist, at the age of 16, under the baton of Lord Yehudi Menuhin, Yu Horiuchi has enchanted audiences around the world. As soloist and chamber musician, she has performed London’s Royal Festival Hall in London, Lincoln Center in New York, Tokyo’s Suntory Hall, Laeiszhalle in Hamburg and the Vienna Konzerthaus, among other prestigious venues, such as St.James’s Palace, where she performed in honour of the British Royal Family.

 

Since 2007, she has been touring her highly acclaimed “Piano Tasting” project, where she compares two pianos on stage, allowing audiences to discover their preference for themselves, while informing them about countless fascinating dimensions of piano sound. “Through A Spanish Window”, a collaborative project Yu initiated in 2010 with performance-artist Uma Ysamat and the painter Paco Duran, united Spanish music and Spanish art to show both in a new light. In the same year, Yu showcased the renowned “Horowitz” Steinway in Austria during its world tour.

 

Her other recent projects have included performances of Igudesman & Joo’s “Manny Spring Sonatas”, with the renowned duo and Emanuel Ax, and her 2-piano project, “The Magic of 2 pianos”, with pianist Hyung-ki Joo. In her newest Solo project, “PIANO +plus”, Yu steps up her game and multitasks one-man-band style, joining the piano with an impressive array of other instruments which she plays at the same time—as well as singing into the bargain!

 

Born in Japan, Yu moved to Germany at the age of 2, winning a place at the Yehudi Menuhin School in England at the age of 14. The British Government awarded her a scholarship to continue her studies at the Royal College of Music. She then completed her Master of Music Degree at The Juilliard School in New York.

 

Yu is one of the only artists to have recorded on the legendary “Rubinstein” Steinway for her solo CD, “Meeting Rubinstein”.