Bow in hand, and a dream in tune, Kaiyuan Wu is about to take the next step in his musical career.

Wu will join the Jacksonville Symphony as a section violinist for the upcoming 2025-2026 season. “I am so excited to take on this position, as this is my first full-time orchestra job!” Wu said, adding that he’s excited to get started. “I need to adjust to the performance schedule. Concerts happen on a weekly basis and I need to get myself fully prepared!” 

Born in Shanghai, China in 1998, Wu started playing the violin at age of 4. At SFCM, he won first prize in the 2017 Violin Concerto Competition. “I loved my time at SFCM, it has such a warm and supportive vibe. I was lucky to be able to study with these tremendously inspiring teachers, they really helped shape my musical voice, and at the same, a much deeper love and understanding of music,” he added. Wu graduated from SFCM in 2021. 

As far as advice for current students? “Sometimes it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of work we put into our craft, but in the end, music is about storytelling,” Wu continued. “Even in auditions, which are definitely not a comfortable musical setting for most of us, thinking of telling something special through sound can make a difference.” 

“Also while practicing,” Wu concluded, “Setting up little goals instead of large ones helps make the process much more fun too!” 

About 50 students study violin at SFCM, learning from world-class faculty, including members of the San Francisco Symphony. Violin students get multiple performance opportunities, craft new career making skills in the classroom, and develop their voice through music from the baroque to the new.

Learn more about studying violin at SFCM.