Yoon Kwon

Yoon Kwon is a notable South Korean-born American violin virtuoso, who is the youngest ever first violinist of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.^[1]

Biography

Kwon began her studies at the age of three, initially studying piano under the tutelage of her mother. At the age of six, she began studying violin, was quickly recognized as a Child prodigy and was accepted into Juilliard two years later at the age of 8. There, she studied with Dorothy DeLay. In 1997, she was the youngest winner of the Juilliard School Concerto Competition, which resulted in her Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center debut that year. After also studying with Hyo Kang, Cho-Liang Lin, and Donald Weilerstein, she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees as well as the prestigious Artist Diploma from Juilliard.

Career

Kwon's career began in 1993 as a thirteen-year-old after being the youngest winner in the history of the New Jersey Symphony Young Artists Auditions and joined the roster of IMG Artists, alongside such artists as Renée Fleming, and Hilary Hahn. In 1997, she released her debut CD on the BMG/RCA Red Seal label in Korea, as the first Korean artist, along with her sister, to record for the label.

Since her debut CD release, Kwon has gone on to perform extensively around the world and currently holds the position of first violin with the Metropolitan Opera, while working with other ensembles, including a quintet with renowned Police drummer Stewart Copeland, and Jon Kimura Parker called "Off The Score".^[2]

Performances

Kwon has performed with the symphonies of numerous cities, such as Cincinnati, Chicago, Colorado, Greenville, Houston, Honolulu, Phoenix, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, St. Louis, and Wichita. Some of the conductors she has collaborated with are James Conlon, Lawrence Foster, Sergiu Commissiona, Paavo Jarvi, Haermann Michael, Stefan Sandering, Alan Gilbert, Tandeuz Strugala, Gürer Aykal, David Lockington, Andre Raphael Smith, and Enrique Bátiz. Some of the orchestras she has performed with are the Cologne Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Orquesta Sinfonica de Teatro Colón, Euro-Asian Philharmonic, Vancouver Symphony, Istanbul State Symphony, and the Mexico State Symphony Orchestra.

With Min Kwon

Kwon has performed extensively with her virtuoso pianist sister Min Kwon and recorded a record for the BMG/RCA Red Seal label entitled You And Me.

Ensembles

Kwon is a founding member of Emergence along with Patrick Zimmerli.^[3] As of 2014, she began working with "Off The Score".

Pedagogy

Kwon has taught at Columbia University's Young Musicians Program, Kuhmo International Music Course in Finland, and as an assistant to Cho-Liang Lin, at The Juilliard School.

Instruments

Kwon has been the recipient of the Avery Fisher Stradivarius on loan from The Juilliard School and Sennhouser Guarnerius del Gesu on loan from the Stradivari Society.

Awards

• New Jersey Symphony Young Artists Auditions: First place
• Juilliard Concerto Competition: First place

Discography

• You And Me (With Min Kwon), BMG/RCA Red Label, 2000
• Phoenix – Patrick Zimmerli, 2005
• Love Is Dead – Kerli, 2008 – (Violin)
• Duets II – Tony Bennett, 2011 – (Violin)
• Cheek To Cheek (album) – Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga, 2014 – (Violin)

References