Esther Yoo (born 11 June 1994) is an American
violinist.
Early life and education
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
The International School of Brussels (ISB) is an English-language international school with grades spanning from pre-school to high school. Its campus lies in the Brussels commune of Watermael-Boitsfort.
History
The International School of Brus ...
, prior to becoming a student of
Ana Chumachenco
Ana Chumachenco is an Italian born violinist of Argentinian, Ukrainian, and German descent.
Biography
Ana Chumachenco was born in Padova, Italy, on 23 June 1945. From the age of four, Chumachenco practiced violin under the guidance of her fathe ...
in the Excellence Bachelor Programme at the
Hochschule für Musik und Theater München,
Augustin Dumay
Augustin Dumay (born 17 January 1949) is a French violinist and conductor from Paris.
Biography
Dumay was invited as a soloist to appear with Yo-Yo Ma in Paris by Herbert von Karajan. Later on, he performed Béla Bartók's ''Second Concerto'' wi ...
in the Artist Diploma Programme at the
Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel
The Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel is a Belgian academic institution for artistic training of young musicians, which was created by Queen Elisabeth of Belgium.
History
Offshoot of ideas about musical training initiated by Eugène Ysaÿe 20 years ...
, Zakhar Bron, Leonid Kerbel and Berent Korfker.
Yoo plays the 1704 "Prince Obolensky"
Stradivarius, lent to her by a private collector.
Career
Yoo first came to international attention in 2010 when she became the youngest prizewinner of the 10th International
International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition
The International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, named after Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, is a competition for violinists up to age 30. It is held every five years in Helsinki. The first competition took place in year 1965, eight years after ...
at age 16. In 2012 she was one of the youngest ever prizewinners of the
Queen Elisabeth Competition
The Queen Elisabeth Competition ( nl, Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd, french: Concours musical international Reine Élisabeth) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in Brussels. The competition is named after Queen ...
, and from 2014 to 2016 she was a
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
New Generation Artist. She was the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works.
The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
's first ever artist-in-residence, and was listed as one of
Classic FM's Top 30 Artists under 30 in 2018.
Yoo has performed with ensembles including
Belgian National Orchestra
The Belgian National Orchestra ( nl, Nationaal Orkest van België, french: Orchestre National de Belgique) is a Belgian orchestra, based in Brussels. Its principal concert venue is the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts (Bozar). The orchestra also gi ...
, Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra,
Royal Scottish National Orchestra,
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a Canadian orchestra based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The VSO performs at the Orpheum, which has been the orchestra's permanent home since 1977. With an annual operating budget of $16 million, it is ...
,
Copenhagen Philharmonic,
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra,
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...
,
Minnesota Orchestra
The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall.
History
Em ...
, Deutsche Radio Philharmonic, the
BBC orchestras
BBC Orchestras and Singers refers collectively to a number of orchestras, choirs and other musical ensembles, maintained by the BBC.
Current operation
All of the BBC’s Orchestras and Singers record performances primarily for BBC Radio 3, with ...
, and the symphony orchestras of Toronto, Charlotte, Iceland and Gävle. In 2017/18, Yoo was artist-in-residence with the
Cambridge Corn Exchange.
As a chamber musician, Yoo has appeared in solo recital at
Lincoln Center,
Wigmore Hall,
Oslo Opera House
The Oslo Opera House ( no, Operahuset) is the home of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the national opera theatre in Norway. The building is situated in the Bjørvika neighbourhood of central Oslo, at the head of the Oslofjord. It is ...
, and
Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels and, as a member of the Z.E.N. Trio (with former BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists
Zhang Zuo and
Narek Hakhnazaryan
Narek Hakhnazaryan ( arm, Նարեկ Հախնազարյան) (born October 23, 1988) is an Armenian cellist who won the gold medal for cello at the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition.
Biography
Hakhnazaryan was born and raised by his mu ...
), at
Aspen Music Festival
The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) is a classical music festival held annually in Aspen, Colorado.
It is noted both for its concert programming and the musical training it offers to mostly young-adult music students. Founded in 1949, the ...
,
Ottawa Chamberfest
The Ottawa Chamberfest summer festival is a music festival held by Ottawa Chamberfest, also known as Chamberfest, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. This year's edition will be held between July 25 and August 8, 2019.
Artists
In 1994, the idea of a ...
and in Hong Kong, Liverpool, and Cambridge. The trio first played in Australia with a national tour in 2022 for
Musica Viva
Musica Viva was founded in 1945 by Romanian-born violinist Richard Goldner, with the aim of bringing chamber music to Australia. The co-founder was a German-born musicologist, Walter Dullo. At its inception, Musica Viva was a string ensemble per ...
.
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. In 2021, she launched the video series "Artist Confidential" inviting artists to reflect on what it means to be a musician today.
Awards and prizes
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
The International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition, named after Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, is a competition for violinists up to age 30. It is held every five years in Helsinki. The first competition took place in year 1965, eight years after ...
in 2010 at the age of 16. Then in 2012 Yoo was one of the youngest ever prizewinners of the
Queen Elisabeth Competition
The Queen Elisabeth Competition ( nl, Koningin Elisabethwedstrijd, french: Concours musical international Reine Élisabeth) is an international competition for career-starting musicians held in Brussels. The competition is named after Queen ...
.
In 2014 Yoo was named as a
BBC New Generation Artist for 2014–16.
In 2020, Yoo was named one of twenty notable musicians to watch in 2020 by
WQXR-FM.
Recordings
*
Sibelius + Glazunov Violin Concertos' – Esther Yoo,
Vladimir Ashkenazy and
Philharmonia Orchestra
The Philharmonia Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It was founded in 1945 by Walter Legge, a classical music record producer for EMI. Among the conductors who worked with the orchestra in its early years were Richard Strauss, W ...
(
Deutsche Grammophon, 2015)
*
Tchaikovsky' – Esther Yoo, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Philharmonia Orchestra (Deutsche Grammophon, 2017)
*
Brahms & Dvorak Piano Trios' – Z.E.N. Trio –
Zhang Zuo, Esther Yoo and
Narek Hakhnazaryan
Narek Hakhnazaryan ( arm, Նարեկ Հախնազարյան) (born October 23, 1988) is an Armenian cellist who won the gold medal for cello at the 2011 International Tchaikovsky Competition.
Biography
Hakhnazaryan was born and raised by his mu ...
(Deutsche Grammophon, 2017)
Original Soundtrackof ''
On Chesil Beach
''On Chesil Beach'' is a 2007 novella by the British writer Ian McEwan. It was selected for the 2007 Booker Prize shortlist.
''The Washington Post'' and Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic Jonathan Yardley placed ''On Chesil Beach'' on his top ...
'' – Esther Yoo & BBC National Orchestra of Wales (Decca Classics, 2018)
*
Burning Through the Cold' – Z.E.N. Trio – Zhang Zuo, Esther Yoo and Narek Hakhnazaryan (Deutsche Grammophon, 2020)''
References
External links
*
Profileat
HarrisonParrott
HarrisonParrott is an international artist and project management agency working in the field of classical music and the arts, with offices in London, Munich and Paris. It was founded in 1969 by Jasper Parrott and Terry Harrison.
Company histor ...
, agent
Profileat
Deutsche Grammophon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yoo, Esther
American classical violinists
American women violinists
American classical musicians of Korean descent
International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition prize-winners
1994 births
Living people
Deutsche Grammophon artists
21st-century classical violinists
Women classical violinists