CIM's own Jinjoo Cho wins the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis

The Cleveland Institute of Music congratulates CIM student and violinist Jinjoo Cho for earning the gold medal in the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI). The winners were announced late Saturday night following the final concert of the competition.

As the winner of the competition, Cho will be awarded a $30,000 cash prize, international concert engagements including a Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium recital debut, career management for the next four years and the four-year loan of the 1683 ‘ex-Gingold’ Stradivarius.

For her first performance in the IVCI finals on September 17, Cho performed Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra. On Friday, she performed Korngold’s Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 35 with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. CIM president, Joel Smirnoff, was the guest conductor for the IVCI finals.

Cho holds a bachelor’s degree (2011) and a master’s degree (2013) in music performance from CIM. But she has been a member of the CIM family since coming to the United States in 2002, at which time she earned a spot in CIM’s prestigious Young Artist Program.

About the Artist

Jinjoo Cho, 26, is currently pursuing her Professional Studies Diploma at CIM as a student of Jaime Laredo, member of the renowned Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio. Cho has previously taken top honors at the Buenos Aires International Violin Competition (2010), the Montreal International Musical Competition (2006) and the Stulberg International String Competition (2005). She has appeared as soloist with The Cleveland Orchestra, the Montreal, Quebec, Winnipeg and Victoria Symphony Orchestras, the Seoul Philharmonic, Kalamazoo Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, CityMusic Cleveland, l’Orchestre de Chambre I Musici de Montreal and Aspen Concert Orchestra.

About the Competition

Founded in 1982 by Josef Gingold, the International Violin Competition of Indianapolis (IVCI) takes place every four years. The mission of IVCI is to recognize, reward and promote the world’s finest young classical violinists and encourage understanding, appreciation and support of the violin repertoire by a large and diverse audience. The IVCI utilizes its world prominence to bring international attention to Indianapolis and maintains its efforts to be a visible and collaborative member of the arts communities in Indianapolis and Indiana.