Matthew Y

Professional Strings Educator

Matthew, a Chinese-American violinist, has performed as a soloist in major venues across the country including Chicago Symphony Center, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Thayer Hall at the Colburn School of Music, and Soka Performing Arts Center. He was a prizewinner at numerous competitions including the American String Teachers Association, John Walker Competition, and Redlands Bowl. Matthew served as Associate Concertmaster of the Orange County Youth Symphony, has performed with other ensembles including the Claremont Young Musicians Orchestra, the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, Chamber Music | OC’s Pre-College Program, and now serves as concertmaster of UCI’s Symphony Orchestra. Matthew has studied violin since the age of 4, and is currently a third-year Music Performance Major at UCI under the tutelage of Professor Dennis Kim, concertmaster of Pacific Symphony Orchestra. In addition, Matthew has been featured as a member of the prestigious Verbier Junior Orchestra in Switzerland, and has worked with many prominent musicians, such as Donna and Peter Marsh, Haroutune Bedelian, Iryna Krechkovsky, Martin Chalifour, Robert DeMaine, and Clive Greensmith.

Matthew’s warmth and enthusiasm for music are immediately apparent. Personable, thoughtful, and exceptionally engaging, he has a natural ability to make the musical arts feel exciting and accessible, bringing the same genuine passion to young beginners as he does to advanced students. His infectious enthusiasm and encouraging nature create an environment where students of all ages can feel inspired to learn, explore, and grow.

A passionate advocate of youth music education, Matthew helped inspire the continuation of music education programs in the Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District by bringing mentor artists to the schools to work directly with students, and plans on creating an even bigger program to bring music to those who cannot afford a proper music education.