HOMECOMING concert + party

A showcase celebration of the Cliburn's last decade, featuring Anderson & Roe, Angela Cheng, Daniel Hsu, Fei-Fei, Vadym Kholodenko, Joshua Roman, Thomas Yu, and more

"I'm naturally an introvert, so I don't find it challenging to be at home," says Thomas Yu, a periodontist and gifted classical pianist based in Calgary.

But with his periodontal practice closed in order to contain the spread of COVID-19, Yu has had extra time on his hands for piano-related projects.

"It's music now that will help keep everyone smiling," he said.

Dr. Thomas Yu likes to think of his dual existence as a professional periodontist and an amateur pianist as separate parts of his life, but there are times when they overlap.

Today, let’s meet Thomas Yu. He is a periodontist who kept up his piano chops to a very high level – high enough that I actually forget he’s a medical professional – I keep thinking of him as a pianist who happens to do periodontal stuff on the side.

When Lancaster pianist Christopher Shih competed in the 2011 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, Thomas Yu was watching online from his home in Canada.

The two had met in 2007 at a festival showcasing award-winning amateur pianists. Shih won that prestigious competition in 2011. “I remember, as soon as he won, the first thing he mentioned to me was, ‘You’re next,’ ” Yu says.