Phoebe Wu is an Economics and Music double major with a minor in Food Systems at the University of California, Berkeley. She studies violin under Professor Antoine Van Dongen and has served as concertmaster of the California Orchestra Institute. In 2024, Phoebe won the UC Berkeley Annual Concerto Competition and performed the Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto with the UC Berkeley Symphony in February 2025. Her recent accolades include First Prize at the 2024 Charleston International Music Competition, Second Prize at the 2025 International Mozart Competition Vienna, and First Prize at the 2025 International Schubert Competition Vienna. She is also a recipient of the Roselyn Schneider Eisner Prize in Music for artistic excellence and the Bernece Lyon Prize in recognition of her creative pursuits and interdisciplinary artistry. Phoebe kickstarted her orchestral journey as principal second violinist of the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Ensemble. This experience marked the emergence of her soloist identity, culminating in her concerto debut with the orchestra in 2016. She has since given solo charity recitals at Taiwan’s National Recital Hall in 2018, 2021, and 2024, donating all proceeds to the Angel’s Heart Family Social Welfare Foundation. Beyond performance, Phoebe’s artistic practice is rooted in a belief in storytelling as a bridge between disciplines and communities. In 2021, she performed with Ray Chen and Taiwan’s National Symphony Orchestra as part of a youth musicianship program dedicated to bringing classical music to indigenous communities. That same year, she co-founded Saplings of Music, a charity initiative that provides free music education and instruments to underserved children in Taipei. In 2023, Phoebe launched Herban Omnivore, a creative platform that merges food, music, and art. Her flagship experience, Savoring the Score, is an interdisciplinary exploration of the dialogue between sound and taste. Through a tasting menu paired with a live recital, Phoebe celebrates emotional storytelling and the art of mindful connection–between senses, memory, and community. Each dish-musical pairing invites guests to reflect, feel, and engage across senses. Phoebe envisions growing this work into a broader platform that unites artists, thinkers, and supporters who believe in the transformative power of storytelling across mediums.
