Hai-Jun Yu

In the year 1954, in the City of Ji Xi, Heilongjiang Province, China, Hai-Jun Yu was born. This new life would experience many challenges, great changes, and enduring love.  As a child, he soon realized an appreciation for art and beauty. In his teen years, in addition to the usual classes, he studied wood sculpture – indeed developing skills to the point that his teacher was disappointed when he chose to abandon this work for the university.  In 1974 he entered Harbin Teachers University as an English language student in the Foreign Language Department, graduating four years later.  Hai-Jun Yu began his teaching career immediately thereafter at this same university. While studying English, Hai-Jun also pursued the culinary arts. His training and experience qualified him as a professional chef – an art enjoyed by many of his friends throughout all of his years. Hai-Jun loved to cook. Also eat.

As a young single man, Hai-Jun attends a Chinese New Years Party that included single young women students. A freshmen student, Xi-Yan Guan, captivated his attention – to the extent that, with a little manipulation, he was able to be assigned as the instructor of her English class. After her graduation, and many invitations to enjoy his skills as a chef, they were married.

His next challenge was working as an interpreter for an engineering company in the U.S. Territory of Guam. Son Bo was born shortly after his departure to Guam. Hai-Jun enjoyed the new challenge, the island of Guam, and was engaged with American ideals. A visit to a souvenir shop in Guam turned his life in a new direction. A violin was for sale – at a substantial price. Hai-Jun is challenged again. If he could use his carving skills to make violins in English speaking America – he could be truly successful. With this new found passion – and homesick for family – he returns home to Harbin from Guam.

Returning to teaching duties, he adds violinmaking courses from the Arts Department to his schedule. With his previous training, his skill level increases rapidly. In 1992, Hai-Jun has a chance to come to the U.S. In Alhambra, California, he begins work in a clothing store. By the end of the first week, he decides that he is more suited to violinmaking. A packet of photos and documents were prepared and mailed to Mark Lisle, at Lisle Violin Shop in Pasadena, Texas. An “audition” was soon arranged. Hai-Jun rode the bus from California to Houston. His new life as violinmaker and repairer begins.

Beginning work in 1992, and as senior violinmaker (master luthier) from June 1994, Hai-Jun Yu has touched the lives of thousands of music students through the violins, violas, cellos and basses he has made, prepared, and repaired. His skills, appreciated by professionals, were given to students as well. He had a passion for art, beauty, and music which were combined in this vocation.  Wife Xi-Yan and Son Bo were able to join him in Houston in 1994. Success and happiness followed as Hai-Jun fully embraced the authentic American Dream. They became homeowners and in June of 2000, parents of a second son, Michael Jay Yu.

Hai-Jun continued to increase his skills in his profession by participating in several violinmaking competitions in the U.S. and Italy, including a First Place ranking in Violin, and Viola Workmanship and Tone, in the Arizona Violinmakers Association competition. In 1996, he attended and was certified by the Oberlin Restoration Workshop.

In the Spring of 2003, As Xi-Yan fulfills her role as mother and homemaker and Bo excels in both music and academics, Hai-Jun becomes ill. The gravity of this illness is confirmed with a diagnosis of cancer. Friends – as he had been such a good friend to many – rallied to his aid. A benefit concert at the Houston Chinese Church was a personal and musical tribute to this man of many gifts. Despite all medical efforts and a courageous tenacity, the disease could not be defeated. His spirit passed from this earth on Monday, March 22, 2004.

Hai-Jun Yu was a spiritual man. He believed in God, in Jesus as his Savior, in life everlasting, in the goodness of man, in truth, honesty, and fair dealing. His life was his witness.  Although we experience sadness at our loss, we must treasure all that we have gained from him. We celebrate his life that enriched all of our lives. His was a life well lived.