Yoonshin Song

Acclaimed as "a wonderfully talented violinist... [whose] sound and technique go well beyond her years," the newest member of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, violinist Yoonshin Song, was born in South Korea where she began her musical studies at age 5. Making her orchestral debut at age 11, she has since built a successful performing career throughout Korea, United States and Europe. Song earned her master's degree and Graduate Diploma under the tutelage of Donald Weilerstein at New England Conservatory and recently completed the Artist Diploma and Professional Study programs at Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Robert Mann and Glenn Dicterow.

Winner of the Stradivarius International Violin Competition, Song earned many prestigious prizes throughout her career. Some highlights include prizes in the Young Concert Artists International Competition in New York, Lipizer International Violin Competition in Italy, Henry Marteau International Violin Competition in Germany, Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Poland and Ima Hogg International Competition in Houston. In her native South Korea, Song has won virtually all the major national competitions. Most recently, Song received the David G. Whitecomb Foundation Award and gave a recital in Germantown, New York, which was well received by critics and audience members.

Since giving her debut recital after winning the Jeunesses Musicales Audition in 1999, she has been sought after as a recitalist performing throughout Korea, United States and Europe to great acclaim. As a soloist she has performed with many orchestras around the world such as Houston Symphony Orchestra, P.Constantinescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, KBS Philharmonic Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Korean Baroque Chamber Orchestra, among many others. Most recently, Song made her Utah Symphony Orchestra debut in the 2010 Deer Valley Music Festival.

Song has participated both as a charismatic soloist and an imaginative chamber musician in numerous music festivals such as Marlboro Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Perlman Music Program, Encore String Festival, Miyazaki Chamber Music Festival in Japan, Nice International Summer Academy and Yfrah Neaman International Music Course in Europe.

Song currently plays on a Vincenzo Rugeri violin on loan to her by a generous sponsor in Michigan.