Featuring Juventas’s celebrated violist in a virtuosic solo program

Born in China, Lu Yu began her musical studies at the age of six on violin. She started to play viola as her principal instrument at age twelve at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou, China. Her studies then took her to the Royal Academy of Music in London with a full scholarship where she learned under the tutelage of Matthew Souter for the Bachelor of Music degree. Ms. Yu then studied with Marcus Thompson at the New England Conservatory in Boston where she received her Master of Music degree. Among her numerous awards, she was granted “The Young Musician of 2008” in Hong Kong. Her performance career has led to being the founding violist of the Loki String Quartet which is in residence at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Ms. Yu is also principal violist of the Boston Civic Symphony, performs with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, was recently co-principal viola of the Missouri Symphony and frequently performs with many of the ensembles around the Boston area.

Founded in 2005, Juventas New Music Ensemble is a dynamic contemporary chamber group with a special focus on emerging voices. We reimagine classical music as a vibrant living art form, uplifting rising voices and bringing audiences music from a diverse array of composers that live in today’s world and respond to our time.

Juventas is thrilled to announce its 2025–2026 Mainstage season, Journeys. Each program in the season examines a unique type of voyage, from the changing of the seasons, to cultural explorations, to the artistic process. Through music, each concert provides an opportunity to reflect on how these experiences shape us — both as individuals and as a community.

“As we began Juventas's third decade, I considered Juventas's next chapter," says Artistic Director Oliver Caplan. "A theme of evolution began to take shape in my mind. This season explores the many ways one can embark on a journey - including natural, artistic, and cultural."

This season continues the ensemble’s rapid growth with more mainstage performances than ever before (15 in total) at 4 venues: the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, First Parish Sudbury, the Brattleboro Music Center, and New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston. The season also continues the ensemble’s mission of lifting up emerging voices that speak to the time we are living in, featuring 50+ living composers, 18 of whom are new to the Juventas stage.

Juventas - Lu Yu: Center Stage

Juventas - Lu Yu: Center Stage