Michelle Xu

Canadian pianist Michelle Jia Yun Xu made her international debut at age 11 at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and has since performed throughout North America, Europe, and China.

A Lauréate of the Concours Piano Campus 2025, Michelle Xu was awarded the Prix d’Honneur Aline Foriel-Destezet, the Prix du Festival Baroque de Pontoise, and the prize for the best interpretation of the semi-final imposed piece. She is also a prizewinner of several competitions, including the Città di Minerbio International Piano Competition, Shean Competition, Seattle International Piano Competition, and the Pacific Youth Piano Competition. She is grateful for the support of the BC Arts Council and the Fondation Société Générale.

Currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris under Marie-Josèphe Jude and Clément Lefebvre, Michelle Xu previously earned her Bachelor of Music at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, studying with Angela Cheng. Her early training in Vancouver was guided by Kenneth Broadway and Ralph Markham, and she has worked with musicians including Hortense Cartier-Bresson, Klaus Hellwig, André Watts, and Benedetto Lupo.

Michelle Xu has participated in festivals such as Morningside Music Bridge and Domaine Forget. She made her orchestral debut in 2014 with the West Coast Symphony Orchestra at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts and has since appeared as a soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Alicante.

Committed to community engagement, Michelle Xu gave her first charity recital in 2015 in support of the BC Alzheimer’s Society and continues to perform in outreach settings, including retirement homes and benefit concerts.