Prof. Le YU
Programme Director of Percussion, School of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen

Le YU is a Professor and the Founding Programme Director of Percussion, Acting Head of Strings, Wind, Brass and Percussion, Director of the International/HK/MO/TW Affairs Office at the School of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen.

Born in China, Le has traveled around the world as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. He has also enjoyed success in competitions, including the Gold Medal at the China National Percussion Competition; the Winner of the 2009 Italy PAS International Percussion Competition; and the 2012 Yamaha European Scholarship Competition. He has been awarded as a Young Artist of Philanthropy in China by UNESCO in 2019.

Le has performed in front of the British Royal Family at the 60th Royal Over-seas League Competition Award Ceremony in London's Southbank Centre, where he won the first prize in the mixed ensemble category with his Aurora Percussion Duo. They also won the Park Lane Group Competition at the Southbank Centre. The Duo has been chosen by "Live Music Now" to deliver exciting projects to special educational needs across the UK. The Duo was invited to play at some of the best venues and festivals, including Edinburgh International Festival, BBC In Tune, Cambridge Music Festival, Bridgewater Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, RNCM Day of Percussion, and many more.

As a concerto soloist, Le has premièred a number of concertos, including Keiko Abe's The Wave marimba concerto in Asia, America, and the UK. Most recently, the world-famous Chinese Composer Xiaogang YE wrote for him a brand new marimba concerto Crane Chirping. Le gave its world premiere with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra during the 2024 Shenzhen Belt and Road International Music Festival Opening Concert. In the same year, Le received another brand new marimba concerto Lotus Smile by Pengfei YU, and gave its European premiere at the Wien Konzerthaus Mozart Saal in Vienna with The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen School of Music Faculty Chamber Orchestra and also at the 2024 Beijing Modern Music Festival for its world premiere. He has worked with the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra, Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, and BBC Singers. Le performed live on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 2, BBC Manchester, European Television 4, and CCTV Music. Le was a Soloist of the 2016 World Percussion Group. He has been given Solo recitals, Masterclasses, and ensemble concerts across the USA.

Le has been invited to the panel for the Royal Philharmonic Society Award. Since 2016, Le has been a jury member of the China National Percussion Competition and the Southern Percussion International Competition, and recently on the jury of the Croatia International Percussion Competition Rhythm-O-Phonia. He has been invited to give Masterclasses in the USA, Mexico, Singapore, the UK, Europe, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and China.

He is also a Professor of Marimba at the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK, where he was the Deputy Director of Percussion from 2019 until 2022. He was also the Marimba/Solo Percussion tutor at Chetham's School of Music from 2018-2022. His pupil Fang Zhang won the BBC Young Music of the Year 2020. he also holds a Visiting Professorship at the Xi'an, Wuhan, and Shenyang Conservatory of Music in China. Le was the first percussionist who was awarded as an Associate Member of the Royal Northern College of Music in 2020.

Le is a Yamaha Artist, Sabian Artist and Kolberg Artist.