Brandon Hu

Brandon Hu is a junior at the John Burroughs School (JBS) and is excited to join the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra for his fourth season. He began studying violin at age three and became a dedicated musician by age eleven. At nine, he joined the Webster Community Music School (CMS) String Orchestra before advancing to the Young People’s Concert Orchestra (YPCO) in 2019. During the 2022–2023 season, he served as principal second violin of the Young People’s Symphonic Orchestra (YPSO), which performed at the Missouri Music Educators Association Conference. In 2025, Hu was selected as a first violinist in the Missouri All-State Orchestra and served as assistant concertmaster of the YO during the 2025–2026 season. 

Hu made his concerto debut with the Odyssey Chamber Series, performing Bach’s Triple Violin Concerto as a winner of the Odyssey Concerto Competition. His honors include runner-up in the 2023 Missouri Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Junior String Competition, Gold Medalist at the 2024 Young Artist Competition, honorable mention in the 2025 Missouri MTNA Senior String Competition, and honorable mention in the 2025 University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL) Concerto Competition.  

At JBS, Hu co-founded the school’s first chamber ensemble, the Burrough Trio, which has performed both on campus and throughout the St. Louis area. He also serves as a leader of the JBS Performance Club, organizing performances and busking events for fellow students.  

Hu has attended the Indiana University Jacob School of Music Summer String Academy (2023), Meadowmount School of Music (2024), and the University of Michigan MPulse Center Stage Strings program (2025). He has received guidance from Pasha Sabouri, I-Hao Lee, Danielle Belen, Elbert Tsai, and Simon James. 

Hu is grateful to his parents for their unwavering support, to his first teacher, Celina Casado, for inspiring his musical journey, and to Joo Kim, whose mentorship over the past decade has shaped him both as a violinist and as a person.