The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) has a new full-time member in the form of violinist Tim Yu. Formerly a casual violinist with the multi-award-winning ensemble, Yu was also an ACO Emerging Artist in 2020 and 2021.

Established in 2007, the program pairs each Emerging Artist with an ACO mentor, who provides them with private lessons and guidance throughout the year. They also receive opportunities to rehearse and perform with the ACO, perform chamber music concerts in concert venues including the Sydney Opera House, and embark on regional tours with the ACO Collective.

Emerging Artists alumni include five current members of the ACO: violinists Glenn Christensen, Liisa Pallandi, and Thibaud Pavlovic-Hobba, Principal Viola Stefanie Farrands and violist Elizabeth Woolnough.

Tim Yu and ACO mentor Liisa Pallandi. Photo © Nic Walker

Something of a teenage prodigy (he played a Vivaldi solo with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra aged 15), Yu is a graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he studied with Alice Waten. He also served as the Concertmaster of the Sydney Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and worked with Günter Pichler, Jun Iwasaki, Frank Huang, Oliver Wille, Marcus Becker, Daniel Müller-Schott and Storioni Trio...