Jennifer Koh

Biography

Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh is recognized for her intense, commanding performances, delivered with dazzling virtuosity and technical assurance. She is a forward-thinking artist dedicated to exploring a broad and eclectic repertoire while promoting equity and inclusivity in classical music. She has expanded the contemporary violin repertoire through a wide range of commissioning projects and has premiered more than 100 works written especially for her. Named Musical America’s 2016 Instrumentalist of the Year, Koh has won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Concert Artists Guild Competition, and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. She has a BA in English literature from Oberlin College and studied at the Curtis Institute, working with Jaime Laredo and Felix Galimir.

In December of 2023, Koh was appointed to the position of Artistic Director for the Kennedy Center’s Fortas Chamber Music Series, newly partnering with ARCO Collaborative, a non-profit she has upheld since 2014 dedicated to illuminating underrepresented voices in music. As a staple of this season, Koh will perform Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin at the Kennedy Center, as well as curate Sounds of US, an immersive new music festival featuring world premieres of new chamber works, and an emphasis on highlighting previously unheard artists in classical music. Additionally, Koh will perform other works from her critically acclaimed commissioning projects including Alone Together, Bach and Beyond, Bridge to Beethoven, Limitless, and Shared Madness.