I would never be here as a musician and violinist had it not been for my teachers and mentors. I am forever grateful to them for their generosity, knowledge, inspiration, and wisdom. Their guidance changed the course of my life and can only be celebrated by through my actions to pass on what I learned from them to my own students.
─Jennifer Koh
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Timeline
11 years old
Makes her debut with the Chicago Symphony playing Paganini’s Concerto No. 1
16 years old
U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts
Begins studies at Oberlin College
17 years old
Wins the top prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition
18 years old
Receives the Avery Fisher Career Grant
Makes her New York debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
20 years old
Graduates with a B.A. in English Literature from Oberlin College
Begins studies with Jaime Laredo and Felix
Jennifer Koh’s performance career started early. She made her debut playing Paganini’s first concerto with The Chicago Symphony at age 11 and won the Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition at age 17. She has performed as a soloist and chamber musician for three decades and has soloed with major orchestras including the NY Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, BBC London Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Gothenburg Symphony, Orchestra Radio France, RAI National Symphony Orchestra Torino, Melbourne Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, and KBS Symphony. She has performed as soloist with world-renowned conductors including Gustavo Dudamel, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Christoph Eschenbach, and Lorin Maazel. She has performed in leading performing arts institutions and festivals including BBC Proms, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Wigmore Hall, Kennedy Center, Hollywood Bowl, Festival Présences, Marlboro Music Festival, Ojai Festival, Tanglewood Festival, Ravinia Festival, and Avanti! Festival. She has released 16 albums with repertoire ranging from Bach and Tchaikovsky to contemporary works.
Jennifer Koh has premiered over 75 works written for her by composers including Kaija Saariaho, Philip Glass, Julia Wolfe, David Lang, Du Yun, John Harbison, Missy Mazzoli, Andrew Norman, and Vijay Iyer. Partnerships with leading composers include working with Philip Glass when she played the title role of Einstein in Einstein On The Beach, and opened Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall with John Adams, performing Lou Harrison’s Concerto In Slendro.