About

Hailed by The Dallas Morning News as “a musician with deeply felt and warmly shaped artistry,” 19-year-old Taiwanese-American violinist Steven Lu is quickly gaining recognition as one of America’s most promising young musicians for his striking musical poeticism and athletic virtuosity. He began studying violin at the age of five, and has since been the recipient of various prizes; namely, the 2022 grand prize of the Collin County Young Artists Competition, the 2023 grand prize of the Juanita Miller Competition, the 2023 grand prize of the Vernell T. Gregg Competition, the 2022 silver medal of the Lynn Harrell Competition, and the bronze medal of the 2024 MTNA National Competition.

Steven has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the Lewisville Symphony Orchestra, the Plano Symphony Orchestra, and the Marshall Symphony Orchestra, making solo appearances performing in concert venues across the United States such as the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Moody Performance Hall, the Lila Cockrell Theatre at the Henry B. González Convention Center, and the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts. Steven’s extensive experience as an orchestral musician has led him to serve as the Concertmaster of the 2024 TMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra, ranking 1st across all violinists in the state of Texas.

Steven has also had the opportunities to collaborate with many of the world’s current leading artists, such as Pinchas Zukerman, Augustin Hadelich, Mark Steinberg, Andres Cardenes, Clive Greensmith, Fabio Bidini, and Rohan De Silva. An avid chamber musician, Steven has worked and performed with many of the world’s leading chamber musicians, such as pianists Robert McDonald and Thomas Sauer, as well as members of the Brentano, Borromeo, Tokyo, Casals, Jupiter, Cooperstown, Orion, and Calidore String Quartets. Festival appearances have included the Heifetz International Summer Institute, the Basically Beethoven Festival, and most recently, a residency at the 62nd Taos Chamber Music Festival, as the youngest of only 19 young artists invited internationally to the program on a full scholarship. His chamber music engagements are currently mentored by Jonathan Brown, formerly of the Cuarteto Casals, Clive Greensmith, and Martin Beaver, both formerly of the Tokyo String Quartet.

Currently, Steven is in his second year of pursuing his Bachelors of Music in Violin Performance at the Colburn School’s Conservatory of Music as a student in the class of violinist Martin Beaver. Other important influences include the late Jan Mark Sloman, Robert McDonald, and Gary Levinson.