JIN YEYEONG

Was born in Seoul, Korea and began playing the violin at age two. She gave her first solo recital at eight after receiving the Kumho-Asiana Cultural Foundation Award. At nine, she began her formal studies at the Curtis Institute of Music with Ida Kavafian. She currently studies at the Juilliard School under Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho as a proud recipient of the Kovner Fellowship. Jenny has received international prizes including silver medals at the Zhuhai and Stulberg International Violin Competitions, and First Prize at the 2023 Michael Hill International Violin Competition, where she was also awarded the Chamber Music Prize. She has taken part in summer programs such as the Perlman Music Program and Kronberg Academy’s Chamber Music Connects the World. Jenny plays on a violin by Domenico Montagnana, Venice c1735, as the Sheila Smith prizewinner of the Michael Hill International Violin Competition on loan from Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.

1. Was there a specific moment or experience that made you realize you wanted to

become a musician?

I think it was a gradual process for me. As a child, practicing was hard and I got nervous before performing. But many times after a performance, I realized it was actually fun. Once the nerves faded, I wanted to do it again. As I got older, learning new repertoire and sharing it became a fun challenge. These days, what motivates me is the goal of being true to myself in music and in life.

2. When you perform, what do you hope to communicate or make the audience feel?

When I perform, I hope to communicate something that words or daily life can’t fully express. Sometimes when I listen to music, I feel a kind of magic happening inside me. I hope the audience can have that moment too.

3. If you had to present yourself by playing a single piece from the entire repertoire, which

one would you choose, and why?

I would choose the Dvorak violin concerto. Whenever I play the concerto, I feel at home, and I can really play how I feel at that moment. I think the piece breaks down any walls and lets me be free.