Marie-Thérése Yan was born in Mogok, Burma but when she was 4 years old, her family moved first to France and then later to Germany. As a child she achieved a number of awards for her recorder playing. She studied recorder in Basel at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis with Hans-Martin Linde and with Marion Verbruggen, Amsterdam. Marie-Thérése Yan then continued to study bassoon in Basel and Karlsruhe.
She has participated on several occasions at the Warsaw Autumn Festival and many prominent composers have written pieces for her: She works in radio and television as well as giving concerts at home and abroad.