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Esther Yoo

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Esther Yoo
Esther Yoo
Esther Yoo
Background information
Born (1994-06-11) 11 June 1994 (age 30)
United States
GenresClassical
OccupationsViolinist
Years activeSince 2010
Websiteestheryooviolin.com

Esther Yoo (born 11 June 1994) is an American violinist.

Early life and education

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Born in the United States and raised in Europe, Yoo began playing the violin at the age of 4 and made her concert debut aged 8. She attended the International School of Brussels, prior to becoming a student of Ana Chumachenco in the Excellence Bachelor Programme at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, Augustin Dumay in the Artist Diploma Programme at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Zakhar Bron, Leonid Kerbel and Berent Korfker.

Yoo plays the 1704 "Prince Obolensky" Stradivarius, lent to her by a private collector.

Career

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Yoo playing with ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Columbus, Ohio, 2020
Yoo in 2020

Yoo first came to international attention in 2010 when she became the youngest prizewinner of the 10th International International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition[1] at age 16. In 2012 she was one of the youngest ever prizewinners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition,[2] and from 2014 to 2016 she was a BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artist.[3] She was the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's first ever artist-in-residence,[4] and was listed as one of Classic FM's Top 30 Artists under 30 in 2018.[5]

Yoo has performed with ensembles including Belgian National Orchestra,[6] Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra,[7] Vancouver Symphony Orchestra,[8] Copenhagen Philharmonic,[9] Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra,[10] Philharmonia Orchestra,[11] Minnesota Orchestra,[12] Deutsche Radio Philharmonic,[clarification needed] the BBC orchestras,[13] and the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Charlotte, Iceland and Gävle. In 2017/18, Yoo was artist-in-residence with the Cambridge Corn Exchange.[14]

As a chamber musician, Yoo has appeared in solo recital at Lincoln Center,[15] Wigmore Hall,[16] Oslo Opera House,[17] and Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels[18] and, as a member of the Z.E.N. Trio (with former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists Zhang Zuo and Narek Hakhnazaryan), at Aspen Music Festival,[19] Ottawa Chamberfest[20] and in Hong Kong, Liverpool, and Cambridge. The trio first played in Australia with a national tour in 2022 for Musica Viva.[21]

On her YouTube channel, Yoo hosts videos on violin technique and practice tips, cooking, life as a touring artist, the making of her albums with Deutsche Grammophon and Decca, and more.[22] In 2021, she launched the video series "Artist Confidential" inviting artists to reflect on what it means to be a musician today.[23]

Awards and prizes

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In 2006, Yoo was given first prize in the junior section of the International Henryk Wieniawski Violin Competition and also the European Union Award for Music Art for Youth. She then went on to be the youngest prizewinner of the 10th International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in 2010[24] at the age of 16. Then in 2012 Yoo was one of the youngest ever prizewinners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition.[25]

In 2014 Yoo was named as a BBC New Generation Artist for 2014–16.[26]

In 2020, Yoo was named one of twenty notable musicians to watch in 2020 by WQXR-FM.[27]

Recordings

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References

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  1. ^ "Jean Sibelius -Viulukilpailu 2015 | laureates". Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  2. ^ "Esther Yoo". Archived from the original on 2019-01-21. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  3. ^ "Radio 3 announces the 2014-16 New Generation Artists". BBC Music Magazine. 2014-09-11.
  4. ^ "Esther Yoo is first-ever Artist-in-Residence with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra". harrisonparrott.com. 26 April 2018.
  5. ^ "30 incredible classical musicians under 30". Classic FM (UK). 2018-06-08.
  6. ^ "Esther Yoo". Orchestre National de Belgique. Archived from the original on 2019-01-21.
  7. ^ "Esther Yoo debuts with Royal Scottish National Orchestra". harrisonparrott.com. December 2017.
  8. ^ "Esther Yoo debuts with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra". harrisonparrott.com. 6 April 2018.
  9. ^ "Esther Yoo & Tchaikovsky". Tivoli.
  10. ^ "HK Phil". www.hkphil.org. Archived from the original on 2012-11-28.
  11. ^ "Soloists – Philharmonia Orchestra". www.philharmonia.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2014-01-19.
  12. ^ "Minnesota Orchestra – Stories". www.minnesotaorchestra.org. Archived from the original on 2017-06-13.
  13. ^ "BBC Concert Orchestra". BBC.
  14. ^ "Artist in Residence | Cambridge Live". Cambridge Corn Exchange.
  15. ^ "Esther Yoo, violin (U.S. recital debut), and Robert Koenig, piano". Lincoln Center. Archived from the original on 2019-01-21.
  16. ^ "BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert, Wigmore Hall Mondays: Esther Yoo and Zhang Zuo". BBC.
  17. ^ "Operaen.no". Den Norske Opera & Ballett.
  18. ^ https://www.bozar.be/en/activities/2297-esther-yoo [dead link]
  19. ^ "A Recital by the Z.E.N. Trio". Aspen Music Festival and School. Archived from the original on 2018-07-26.
  20. ^ Hum, Peter (2018-07-24). "Chamberfest preview: Z.E.N. And the art of forming a supergroup trio". Ottawa Citizen.
  21. ^ "Z.E.N. Trio", Melbourne Recital Centre
  22. ^ Esther Yoo Violin's channel on YouTube
  23. ^ "Artist Confidential with Esther Yoo". The Strad. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
  24. ^ "Jean Sibelius -Viulukilpailu 2015 | laureates". www.sibeliuscompetition.fi. Archived from the original on 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  25. ^ "Esther Yoo". www.cmireb.be. Archived from the original on 2015-10-02. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  26. ^ "BBC Radio 3 announces the next BBC New Generation Artists". www.classical-music.com. Retrieved 2015-09-29.
  27. ^ "WQXR Presents "20 For 20": Artists To Watch for the Upcoming Year". WQXR. New York Public Radio. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  28. ^ "SIBELIUS · GLAZUNOV Concertos / Yoo". Deutsche Grammophon. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  29. ^ "TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto / Yoo". Deutsche Grammophon. Retrieved 2023-06-05.
  30. ^ Farach-Colton, Andrew. "DVOŘÁK; BRAHMS Piano Trios". Gramophone.
  31. ^ "Decca Classics - Official Store". Archived from the original on 2019-01-31. Retrieved 2018-11-02.
  32. ^ "Burning Through the Cold, The Z.E.N. Trio". Deutsche Grammophon. Retrieved 2022-04-14.
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