Introduction

Violinist Eun-song Koh is a seasoned performer and highly accomplished educator, widely recognized for her expertise in nurturing young talent and cultivating musical excellence. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree under David Updegraff and Jan Mark Sloman, she went on to earn a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University, where she was honored with the Eckstein Fund Grant and the Grace Fox Congdon Scholarship for outstanding musical and academic achievement. Koh’s pedagogical approach was deeply shaped by her years as a teaching assistant to the esteemed violinist Jan Mark Sloman, where she had the privilege of learning from his masterful insight into both the art of performance and the nuances of violin instruction, which greatly influenced her own teaching philosophy.

Koh has toured internationally, performing as concertmaster of the Orford Music Festival Orchestra, including a tour to South Korea, and as principal second violinist of the Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, with performances in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Her chamber music experience spans various settings, having worked with members of the Emerson String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, Miami String Quartet, and Cavani String Quartet, among others.

Her teaching career includes roles at institutions such as the Interlochen Summer Arts Academy, where she served on the faculty and coached chamber music, as well as Bolivia Clásica, where she taught, conducted workshops, led masterclasses, and performed for aspiring musicians. Koh’s teaching career is defined by a deep commitment to cultivating excellence in her students. Her students have achieved multiple MTNA National Competition Finalist honors, with top placements in both senior and junior strings divisions. They have also earned first-place prizes in numerous concerto competitions and music festivals, and have been invited to compete internationally, including at the Spohr International Competition, and have garnered laureateships at the Chicago International Violin Competition.

Koh’s students have been accepted into and gone on to study at prestigious institutions such as The Juilliard School, Colburn School, New England Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, Northwestern University, University of Southern California, and top universities such as Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and Brown University. Known for her nurturing yet rigorous approach, Koh instills in her students not only technical proficiency and musicality but also the resilience, discipline, and dedication required to approach the violin with unwavering commitment and a steady pursuit of technical and artistic mastery.

With years of experience mentoring emerging violinists, Koh has built a reputation as a passionate, dedicated, and insightful teacher, continuing to inspire and shape the next generation of violinists.