Emre was born in 1990, in the city of Izmir. His talent for learning at a quick pace showed at an early age and this eventually led to a music education, encouraged by his parents and sister. He officially started his music education in 1998 under the Law 6660 – Educational Act for Prodigy Children, studying with Kamuran Gundemir in the Hacettepe University of Ankara.

During his high school, he studied with Fazil Say and Sanem Berkalp in the Bilkent University of Ankara, where he also studied composition. Emre Yavuz performed concertos of Mozart, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff with the major orchestras of Turkey, such as the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, Izmir Symphony Orchestra, Bursa Symphony Orchestra, Antalya Symphony Orchestra, Bilkent Symphony Orchestra and Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra under the conduction of Gürer Aykal, Ibrahim Yazıcı, Rengim Gökmen and Ender Sakpınar. In the year of 2004, he performed in the Antalya International Piano Festival and Spivakov International Music Festival in Moscow. In 2007, Yavuz was awarded the Chopin Special Grand Prize in Ibla, Sicily.

In 2010, Emre won the "Rotary Interpretationspreis Chopin & Schumann" in Vienna and gave concerts with the
Bratislava Philharmonic Orchestra in Musikverein and Radio-Kulturhaus in Vienna as well as in other cities of Austria. Since 2006, Emre has studied with Karl-Heinz Kämmerling at the University of Music, Drama and Media in Hanover, Germany and with Roland Batik in Vienna. He became the first student to graduate from the Vienna Conservatory by receiving full points from all jury members for his interpretations of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Saygun in his graduation recital. Additionally, he took part in masterclasses with Karl- Heinz Kämmerling, Seymour Lipkin, Lang Lang ad Till Fellner.

In August 2012, Emre Yavuz won the first prize in the 4th International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition in Vienna where he was designated as an "outstanding artistic personality". In 2013 he performed Beethoven's Concerto No. 3 in the annual Gala Concert of the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music Orchestra under the conduction of Zubin Mehta. in 2015 he won the 2. National Piano Competition in Ankara. In 2016 he won the Vienna International Piano Competition where he was awarded the Schubert Prize as well. This was followed by 3rd Prize in the International Schubert Competition in Dortmund. In 2017 Emre, Tolga Kulak and Gozde Yasar founded Geistesblitz Trio which soon became the 1st prize winner of the 1st Egirdir Chamber Music Competition. At 15th Kissinger KlavierOlymp 2017 Emre won the 1st prize with an unconventional programme consisting of works by Scarlatti, Rameau, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Saygun and himself. Besides his ongoing studies at Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität Wien Emre is currently continuing his studies with Arie Vardi at University of Music, Theater and Media Hannover.