Described by Dorothy
DeLay as a violinist with “staggering
imagination” and “one of the most expressive
tones I’ve ever heard”, violinist Yoon
Kwon’s compelling musicianship and dynamic stage
presence have won the hearts of audiences around the
world. Her performances have earned her critical acclaim
across four continents, garnering remarks such as
“magic that transcends mere pyrotechnical
flash”, “infinitely beautiful sound…
holding an audience spellbound”, and “utterly
assured and carefree…a talent that kept us enchanted
throughout”.
Yoon Kwon began her professional career in 1993 as a
thirteen-year-old, youngest winner in the history of the
New Jersey Symphony Young Artists Auditions joining the
roster of IMG Artists, alongside such artists as Itzhak
Perlman and Joshua Bell. She has since concertized
extensively as soloist with major orchestras and in
recitals and chamber music appearances with distinguished
musicians. Today, still only in her mid-twenties, Yoon
Kwon is a seasoned artist with a remarkable and
excitingly versatile career. In addition to her solo
appearances, she is currently the youngest first
violinist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, a member
of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society Two, and the
lead violinist of her own jazz ensemble, Emergence,
appearing regularly in New York City’s jazz clubs.
As soloist, Ms. Kwon has appeared abroad with such
orchestras as the Cologne Philharmonic, Warsaw
Philharmonic, (it’s 100th season opening gala)
Orquesta Sinfonica de Teatro Colon (Argentina),
Euro-Asian Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, Istanbul
State Symphony, and the Mexico State Symphony Orchestra,
to name a few. Her numerous US appearances include
performances with the symphonies of Cincinnati, Chicago,
Colorado, Greenville, Houston, Honolulu, Phoenix, New
Jersey, New Mexico, New York, St. Louis, and Wichita, and
others. Among the conductors she has collaborated with
are James Conlon, Lawrence Foster, Sergiu Commissiona,
Paavo Jarvi, Haermann Michael, Stefan Sandering, Alan
Gilbert, Tandeuz Strugala, Gurer Aykal, David Lockington,
Andre Raphael Smith, and Enrique Batiz. Her recital
credits are also numerous: Ravinia Rising Stars Series,
St. Louis Great Artist Series, La Jolla Discovery Series,
and Aspen Winter Series. During the 1998-2003 seasons,
under the auspices of Columbia Artists Community
Concerts, Yoon and her sister, pianist Min Kwon,
undertook extensive tours of joint recitals and master
classes across the US. Yoon Kwon is also a frequent
performer at summer festivals, including Marlboro, Aspen,
Santa Fe, La Jolla, Tanglewood, Vancouver, Rome and
Cassamagiore (Italy), Kuhmo (Finland), and Interlaken,
Verbier (Switzerland), collaborating with such
distinguished musicians as Andras Schiff, Pinchas
Zukerman, Richard Stolzman, Midori, Felix Galimir,
Cho-Liang Lin, Robert McDuffie, Daniel Blumenthal, Carter
Brey, and members of the Guarneri, Juilliard, and Emerson
string quartets.
Yoon Kwon released her debut CD on the BMG/RCA Red Seal
label in Korea in 1997 to critical acclaim, becoming the
first Korean artist to record for the label. She has also
recorded You and Me, an album of solo and duo works with
pianist Min Kwon, Anthony Newman’s Sonata for Violin
and Piano with the composer at the piano. She can be also
heard on a jazz album entitled Phoenix on the Songlines
label. Yoon Kwon’s captivating and passionate
performances have been seen and heard by television and
radio audiences worldwide. Ms Kwon has been a feature
performer on CBS TV’s New Year’s Eve Peace
Concert hosted by Maya Angelou, and broadcast from New
York’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine. She has
also been featured on NBC TV (USA), TV Stuttgart and WDR
(Germany), KBS and SBS TV (Korea), and numerous FM
stations across the US.
A native of Seoul, Korea, Yoon Kwon began her musical
studies at the age of three, studying the piano. At the
age of six, she began studying the violin, and two years
later was accepted into the Juilliard School, where she
studied with the late Dorothy DeLay. In 1997, at the age
of the 17, she was the youngest winner in the history of
The Juilliard School Concerto Competition, resulting in
her Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center debut later that
year. Ms. Kwon received her Bachelor and Master of Music
degrees as well as the prestigious Artist Diploma from
The Juilliard School where she studied with Dorothy
DeLay, Hyo Kang, Cho-Liang Lin, and Donald Weilerstein.
She was the recipient of the Avery Fisher Stradivarius on
loan from The Juilliard School and Sennhouser Guarnerius
del Gesu on loan from the Stradivari Society. She also
enjoys teaching, and has taught at Columbia
University’s Young Musicians Program, Kuhmo
International Music Course in Finland, and as assistant
to Cho-Liang Lin, at The Juilliard School.
For more information, please visit www.yoonkwon.com |
