“The superb conducting of Judith Yan was finely balanced -sensitively accompanying the vocalists, and at the same time allowing the orchestra (the always excellent Louisiana Philharmonic) to soar when called for by the music.” George Dansker (New Orleans Opera, Madama Butterfly, Opera News, 2023)
“Judith Yan, in her Opera Omaha debut, conducted masterfully. The orchestra maintained tonal integrity even when playing delicately and softly, providing a secure foundation of support for the singers. Yan knew exactly when to pull the orchestra back and when to let it loose.” Kevin Hanrahan (Opera Omaha, Suor Angelica, Opera News, 2023)
“The baton of Judith Yan is a paintbrush creating a beautiful landscape. From the gentle toiling of the church bell to a nearly audible gasp of realization after poison has been drunk, Yan and her musicians create an almost living presence that serves as the opera’s lifeblood.” Chris Easton (Opera Omaha, Suor Angelica (Prod. Stickann), Creating Contemplation, 2023)
“In her Vancouver Opera debut, Canadian conductor Judith Yan really shone in the pit, bringing extraordinarily lyrical and expressive playing from the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. Yan held the musical thread firmly but synched the ebb and flow of Puccini’s score perfectly with the onstage drama unfolding before the audience’s eyes. The applause swelled noticeably when she appeared onstage to take her bows at curtain.” Robert Jordan (Vancouver Opera, La bohème (Prod. Barbe & Doucet), Opera Canada, 2019)
“Judith Yan, in her Seattle Opera debut, conducted the orchestra with vigor and deep sympathy for the score.” Jason Victor Serinus (Seattle Opera, An American Dream (Prod. Kazaras), Classical Voice America, 2017)
“But, for all the onstage energy, the guiding intelligence of the performance is plain to see in the pit. The coiled, compact figure of Judith Yan, diminutive in her black frock coat, drives the her musicians with nuanced control, milking all the tuneful sweetness of Puccini’s score while elegantly lining the deft tone-painting of his orchestration.” Lincoln Kaye (Vancouver Opera, La bohème(Prod. Barbe & Doucet), The Vancouver Observer, 2019)
"The evening's principal hero was conductor Judith Yan, who led this daunting score with astonishing precision and fluency." Joshua Kosman (San Francisco Opera Merola, The Rake’s Progress (Prod. Marvel), San Francisco Chronicle)
"The music glistened under the baton of conductor Judith Yan…textures were lucid and the lyric line convincingly sustained." John Bender (San Francisco Opera, La Finta Giardiniera Mozart, Opera Canada)
“A triumph for Seattle Opera...Judith Yan conducts a chamber orchestra in an admirably well-paced performance supporting but never overwhelming the singers.” Philippa Kiraly (Seattle Opera, An American Dream (Prod. Kazaras), CityArt)
“The other star of this production is conductor Judith Yan and the Vancouver Opera Orchestra. She draws out the lyrical beauty of Puccini’s music, easing gradually into, say, Mimi and Rodolfo’s goodbye duet in Act 3, and never rushing its shifting emotions.” Janet Smith (Vancouver Opera, La bohème (Prod. Barbe & Doucet), City Arts Magazine, 2019) “Under the direction of Canadian conductor Judith Yan, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra is simply wonderful.” Greg Ross (West Australian Ballet/West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Dracula, 2018)
“The Edmonton Symphony played splendidly under Judith Yan. She gave the singers plenty of space to be heard, and coaxed many vivid, dramatically transparent moments from the players.” Bill Rankin (Edmonton Opera, La Traviata (Prod. Gauthier), Opera Canada,2018)
"City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong gave a lively account of the score under conductor Judith Yan, who deservedly got a huge hand for having braved 14 days of quarantine to return to Hong Kong for the performances - the show must go on, indeed." Natasha Rogai (Hong Kong Ballet/City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, Don Quixote (Prod. Ananiashvili, Dance Journal Hong Kong, 2020)
“Played by West Australian Symphony Orchestra at its glorious best on opening night, conductor Judith Yan brought forth every nuance, dramatic tone or highlight in the score, in the narrative and in the choreography.” Margaret Mercer (West Australian Ballet/West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Dracula (Choreo. Pastor), Dance Australia, 2018)
“Conductor Judith Yan elicited an alert and precise rendering of the score from the Vancouver Opera Orchestra, providing the singers with an overall security and freedom to cultivate meaningful interplay with each other.” Nicholas Krusek (Vancouver Opera, La bohème, Vancouver Classical Music, 2019)
“The music to accompany the production was from the 1992 film Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Judith Yan expertly conducted the West Australian Symphony Orchestra through the hauntingly dark score.” Jennifer Merigan (West Australian Ballet/West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Dracula, Have a Go News, 2018)
“An American Dream Triumphantly Returns...All of these amazing performances are enriched by the supremely talented orchestra under the baton of Judith Yan." Molly Cassidy (Seattle Opera, An American Dream, Drama in the Hood)
“Judith Yan, who returns as conductor, cues every singer and all her instrumentalists with alacrity, and realizes all the colors of Perla's shape-shifting score." Melinda Bargreen (Seattle Opera, An American Dream, Seattle Times, 2017)
“Dracula the ballet is a triumph...The tiny figure of Chinese conductor, Judith Yan, belied the sounds she brought from the orchestra pit of the beautiful Edwardian theatre, far removed from the dark Victorian days in which the story was originally set.” Barbara Booth (West Australian Ballet/West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Dracula, ArtsHub, 2018)
"West Australian Symphony Orchestra, under Canadian conductor Judith Yan, gave a sparkling accompaniment to this engaging rendition of Don Quixote.” Nina Levy (West Australian Ballet, Don Quixote, The West Australian)
“On opening night, Canadian conductor Judith Yan expertly led the West Australian Symphony Orchestra through the Minkus score with WASO (West Australian Symphony Orchestra) in fine form.” Margaret Mercer (West Australian Ballet, Don Quixote, Dance Australia)
“Judith Yan led her musicians with great power and style.” James Koelker (San Francisco Classical Voice)