Dr. Maureen Yuen

Maureen Yuen, Ed.D (Columbia University, USA), M.Mus (University of British Columbia, Canada), is a Canadian violinist, pedagogue, and researcher dedicated to scholarly inquiry and advancing the field of one-on-one pedagogy. Currently Assistant Professor of Violin & Viola at Drake University (USA), Dr. Yuen's global career is marked by high-profile artistic collaboration, pedagogical innovation, and fostering inclusivity within the world of classical music.

Prior to her appointment at Drake University, Dr. Yuen taught at Columbia University (USA), Mercyhurst University (USA), and the State University of New York (SUNY) Fredonia (USA), where she was honoured with the SUNY's Chancellor's Award for Excellence in teaching, chosen from nominees across the 64 SUNY campuses. Her students have gone on to receive graduate scholarships and assistantships at the Juilliard School, Indiana University, and more. Additionally, Dr. Yuen is a member of the College of Examiners of the Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada), as well as a senior adjudicator and strings specialist for the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program (formerly the Carnegie Hall Achievement Program).

Her active performance schedule includes solo and chamber music performances, recordings, adjudication, and masterclasses worldwide, including the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, the University of Nairobi (Kenya), and across Japan as a mentor with the New York Symphonic Ensemble. In solo performances, Dr. Yuen curates programmes that showcase works from underrepresented composers, enriching the musical landscape with a tapestry of voices often overlooked in traditional settings. Her debut solo recording, "Violin Music by Women: A Graded Anthology, Volumes 1 & 2," released by Albany Records in 2023, can be found on all major streaming platforms and CDs can be purchased at Albany Records and Sleepy Puppy Press.

In addition to her performing and teaching roles, Dr. Yuen is a published scholar with articles in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international conferences. Her research focuses on access and equity in applied music, challenging traditional pedagogical models, and promoting diversity in the performing arts. Most recently, she contributed the chapter "Challenging Tradition: Examining Access and Equity in the Master-Apprentice Studio Model" to the book The Applied Studio Model in Higher Music Education: Critical Perspectives and Opportunities, edited by Kelly Parkes and Ryan Daniel, to be published later in 2024 by Routledge/Taylor and Francis.

As a dedicated advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the arts, Dr. Yuen actively engages in professional service. She serves on the editorial board of the American String Teacher Journal and as a string editor of Rising Tide Music Press, which supports emerging composers of color, contributing her expertise to shape the future of music education. She has also served as a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts (USA).

Dr. Yuen performs on a Storioni composite violin, ca. 1750. Follow her on Instagram: @drakeviolinviola.