Lucy Wu, 15, is a Scholarship Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy, a training center for advanced pre-college musicians. She studies with Dr. Stefan Kartman.
Lucy began cello studies at age 7. She made her solo orchestral debut when at age 10 with the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. Since then, she has soloed with the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra. Lucy has worked in lessons and masterclasses with renowned professors including Hans Jensen, Guy Johnston, Melissa Kraut, Alan Rafferty, Stephen Balderston, Paul Katz, among others.
Lucy has won top honors in numerous competitions. She was the first-place winner of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (2019 and 2020), Chicago International Music Competition (2023), and the Chippewa Valley Symphony Young Artist Competition (2023). Lucy has also been a finalist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra Bolz Young Artist Competition, where her finalist performance was broadcasted worldwide on PBS Wisconsin and featured on Wisconsin Public Radio, and a two-time finalist and recipient of the Anne French Burnham scholarship award at the Schubert Club Competition (2022/2023) in Minneapolis. Other honors include Semifinalist of the Milwaukee Symphony Stars of Tomorrow Auditions, and 2nd prize in the Camerata Artists International Competition.
In addition to performing solo, Lucy also enjoys chamber music. As member of the Luminos Piano Trio, she advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, was the youngest qualifying quarterfinalist, and was also featured with her group on Chicago’s classical music radio network-WFMT Introductions. Over the summers, she has attended the Saint Paul Chamber Music Institute, where she studied with the Jasper Quartet, and was awarded a merit scholarship to the 2023 Ascent International Chamber Music Festival.
Lucy has played in MYSO’s Senior Symphony as its youngest member, and the Wisconsin State Honors Orchestra. She currently plays in the MIC Academy orchestra and is co-principal of her high school chamber orchestra. In 2023, she had the opportunity to perform Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 under the baton of Marin Alsop.
Lucy is a sophomore at Whitefish Bay High School in Wisconsin where she is vice president of Music Club, debate team captain, and an avid political reporter for the Tower Times newspaper.
