Youlan was born in 1999 in Beijing, China. At the age of four, she began studying the piano with her mother, and between the ages of nine and twelve, continued her studies with Professor Yuan Ling at the Central Conservatory of Music.

In 2012, Youlan moved to New York to attend the Juilliard School!s Pre-College Division, where she studied with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. In 2022, Youlan graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School, where she continues to pursue a Master of Music degree under the guidance of Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky.

Since 2018, Youlan has been a proud recipient of the Jerome L. Greene Fellowship, which provides full scholarship towards her studies at Juilliard.

Youlan is a prizewinner at numerous international competitions, including the United States Open Music Competition (2011), the Third International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition (2011), the Cliburn International Junior Competition (2015), the New York International Piano Competition (2018), and the Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competition (2022).

Youlan has been featured in recitals in Beijing, Shanghai, New York, Washington D.C., Aspen, Florida, and Amsterdam. In addition, she has performed piano concertos with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, and the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra. Youlan has also worked with world-renowned musicians such as Murray Perahia, Dang Thai Son, Orli Shaham, Dina Yoffe, Arie Vardi, and Fabio Bidini.