The Musical Side
​             Born and raised in Vancouver, B.C.,
Yvonne Yu started studying piano at the age of
5. Her parents bought an antique piano for a
few hundred dollars and the rest is history (so is
the piano). Upgrading to an upright Yamaha
was very important in cultivating Yvonne's ear,
musicality, and love for instrumental music. 
While studying with Laurie Freinhofer and
Elizabeth Lee, she received First, Second, and
Third Place certificates and trophies for the
Highest Mark, as well as numerous certificates
for achieving First Class Honours with Distinction
and First Class Honours in the Royal Conservatory
of Music exams. Beginning in 2001, she began
studying with Canadian conductor Patricia Rolston and eventually with Vancouver Academy of Music teacher Rebecca Kelly. Yvonne's music theory skills developed through theorist and singer Doris Mah and the VSO's School of Music instructor Dr. Ross Braes. Yvonne holds an Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto (A.R.C.T.) Piano Teacher’s Diploma, is considered a RCM Certified Teacher, having put students through exams every year with some students achieving First Class Honours with Distinction. With knowledge of both RCM and ABRSM, she can prepare students for either schools in practical piano and theory.
 
            Yvonne has volunteered in the Richmond Music Festival, Kiwanis Music Festival, and Canadian Music Competition, overlooking not only piano competitions, but woodwinds and strings as well. Since 2004, Yvonne has composed and transcribed pop and jazz songs and beginner level studies. She has taught children as young as 4 years of age, and people who are grandmothers, and students with ADD, autism, ADHD, and developmental delay. In the last few years, she has added to her curriculum vitae knowledge, skills, and resources from her travels in Czechia, Austria, Germany, England, and New Orleans to aid in teaching classical and jazz piano. Until 2020, she was a pianist for the Cantonese service at her church, often using her talent to create preludes, add chords and colour, and improvise endings of religious songs. She was also a singer for the Cantonese Youth Praise Team. 

 
Weddings & Performances
             Piano songs can be prepared and performed at weddings or other performances in Vancouver, Richmond, Burnaby, North Vancouver, and other areas of the lower mainland. Costs start at $100/song (may be repeated at client's request). Please see youtube.com/chosarang for previous artistry.  
                                                
                                                New artistry & Student work 
                                                  youtube.com/@yvonneyu5744  

 
The Humanities Side
             Yvonne has been immersed in the Chinese language since birth and over the years has found herself particularly skilled with written words. In 1994, she won 4th Place in the Knights of Columbus Spelling Bee and has been able to pick up small amounts of Japanese, German, and French. In school, her interest in American History, particularly African American history, and both European and World War history grew. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature (Major) with a History Minor and a Bachelor of Education in Secondary Education, both from the University of British Columbia, in addition to a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Certificate. Since 2005, Yvonne has been a member of the British Columbia Teacher's Federation and has a practising teacher's certificate from the British Columbia College of Teachers. She has taught and tutored elementary and high school students in many academic subjects, as well as prepared students in the IB program with Extended Essays in History and Art and for various university applications and entrance exams. Her students have gone on to UBC, SFU, Queens, York, AI, and U of Hong Kong. She has done post-secondary tutoring and teaching in Communications, Arts Studies, English, Economics, Fashion Marketing, Film Studies, History, Sociology, and Psychology. She joined the downtown ESL school, International Language Schools of Canada, in 2009 and was a permanent teacher there until early 2020. Most recently, she taught English First Peoples in a private high school in downtown Vancouver. In her free time, she goes dancing, does ballet and figure skating, snowboards, and enjoys the good food and good weather of Vancouver.