Gi Yeon Yoon

Violin, Third Prize, 2017 Serge & Olga Koussevitzky Young Artist Award

Praised for her ability to move the hearts of her audience, the celebrated violinist Gi Yeon Yoon has a history of a brilliant career in her homeland Korea, and is recently becoming a distinguished artist in the US. She currently performs as a soloist, a chamber music performer, and an orchestra concertmaster, which has stemmed from her role as the leader of the orchestra in Manhattan School of Music and her alma mater, Seoul National University Orchestra and Seoul Arts High School.

Yoon has been active in performing with multiple orchestras and musicians. She recently has performed Franck’s Piano Quintet with Robert deMaine, the principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Music Academy of the West, and received favorable responses from the audience. She has also performed with the Bucheon Philarmonic, Seoul National University Orchestra, and Seoul Arts High School Orchestra. She made her debut as a soloist during her days in Eastman School of Music under the guidance of renowned professor Zvi Zeitlin. Her award-winning career includes 1st place in the New York International Music Competition, 3rd place in the Serge and Olga Koussevitzky Young Artist Awards, which is providing her with the opportunity of this recital, 1st place in Dong-a Competition, and 3rd place in Joongang Times Competition. Most recently, she has been selected as a Zarin Mehta Fellow, one of ten winners of the Summer 2017 New York Philharmonic Global Academy's Zarin Mehta Fellow auditions.

Yoon earned her Bachelor's and Master's degree, both as valedictorian, from Seoul National University, where she studied under the supervision of professor Young Uck Kim over the course of 6 years. After that she moved onto Manhattan School of Music with a full scholarship. Currently she is receiving the guidance of Laurie Smukler of Manhattan School of Music. She is also studying with Laurie Carney, who is a founding member of the "American String Quartet". In addition, since the beginning of 2017, Yoon has had an opportunity to study under Sheryl Staples, the principal associate concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic.