Spotlight | Principal Viola

MingYu Hsu

MingYu Hsu was born in New Taipei City, Taiwan.  She recently graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music with her bachelor’s degree as a student of Professor Hsin-Yun Huang and Roberto Diaz.  She joined the Kansas City Symphony as principal viola in September 2022.  MingYu started studying viola at the age of 10 at Gu-Ting Elementary School under Yachi Huang and continued her studies with Jui-Se Yang at the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University.  She was accepted to Curtis in 2014 at the age of 13.

MingYu has performed internationally, including in the United States, Germany, Switzerland, England, Japan and Taiwan.  She has won various competitions, including first prize in the American Protégé International Concerto Competition, third prize at the Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Competition, the Pennycress Trust Bursaries prize at the 12th Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, and first prize at the Taipei Culture Cup, the 7th Asia Pacific Cup of Taipei, the Taipei City Music Competition for Viola Solo of Southern District, and the National Music Competition for Viola Solo.  She is also a recipient of the Chimei Museum Arts Award, and the International Pacing Art Culture Education Foundation Rising Stars Scholarship.