Christopher Wu

Artist Lecturer in Violin

Bio

Described by the Tribune-Review as a musician of “virtuoso command with depth of musical understanding,” violinist Christopher Wu enjoys a diverse musical career. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Wu joined the first violin section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in 1988, and holds the Nancy & Jeffery Leininger First Violin Chair. Over his three decade orchestral career, he has also performed with the Boston Symphony and the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras. 

An active chamber musician, Wu has played with Joshua Bell, Gil Shaham, Emanuel Ax and the Muir String Quartet. Chris has appeared at numerous leading Music Festivals such as Aspen, Tanglewood, Brevard, Heidelberg, Savannah, Masterworks, Stockbridge and St. Bart’s Music Festival.

Mr. Wu is currently an adjunct professor of Violin at Carnegie Mellon University. He has taught masterclasses at many universities including Texas, Oklahoma, Penn State, West Virginia, Youngstown, Ottawa, and the Boston University at Tanglewood. His students have won prestigious positions in ensembles both here and abroad, including the Pittsburgh Symphony, New York Philharmonic and Amsterdam Concertgebouw.

An avid sports fan, Chris was music director for the weddings of Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and former Pirates star Andrew McCutcheon. He has also represented the PSO on ESPN and in ads for Eyetique and Allegheny General Hospital.

Chris’ violin was made in 1727 by Nicolo Gagliano. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, traveling and cooking. He and his wife Annette, reside in Mars, PA and have two children Wesley (Morgan), Grace, one granddaughter and a very active Australian Shepherd, Bentley. In 1991, he survived a near-fatal automobile accident, and he is grateful for every opportunity to play.