About the Musicians
Carter Brey | Principal Cellist, The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Chair
Carter Brey was appointed principal cellist of the New York Philharmonic in 1996, and made his subscription debut as soloist with the orchestra the following year in Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations led by then-Music Director Kurt Masur. He has appeared as soloist with many of America's major symphony orchestras. With the Philharmonic, he has performed in the Haydn C Major Concerto under Music Director Jaap van Zweden; in the Barber, Dvorák, Elgar, and Schumann cello concertos under then-Music Director Alan Gilbert; in Richard Strauss's Don Quixote with music directors Lorin Maazel and Zubin Mehta; in the Brahms Double Concerto with then-Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and conductor Christoph Eschenbach, as well as with Lorin Maazel on the orchestra's 2007 European tour; in William Schuman's A Song of Orpheus with conductor Christian Thielemann; and in the Boccherini Cello Concerto in D with conductor Riccardo Muti. He also performed the Brahms work at Tanglewood Music Center in the summer of 2002 as part of Kurt Masur's final concerts as the Philharmonic's music director.
Mr. Brey is cellist of the New York Philharmonic String Quartet, an ensemble that debuted in March 2017, performed during the Philharmonic’s spring 2017 European tour, and made its New York debut at the 92nd Street Y in November 2017. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with Harlem Quartet and has appeared regularly with the Tokyo and Emerson string quartets, at Spoleto Festival in the US and Italy, and at the Santa Fe and La Jolla chamber music festivals. Mr. Brey has performed in recital with pianist Christopher O'Riley, with whom he recorded The Latin American Album for Helicon Records. He partnered with pianist Garrick Ohlsson and violinist Leila Josefowicz in an acclaimed recording of Chopin's chamber music that was released in 2010 on the Helios label.
Mr. Brey rose to international attention in 1981 as a prizewinner in the Rostropovich International Cello Competition. Subsequent appearances with Mstislav Rostropovich and the National Symphony Orchestra were unanimously praised. His awards include the Gregor Piatigorsky Memorial Prize, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, and Young Concert Artists' Michaels Award.
A faculty member of the Curtis Institute of Music, Mr. Brey was educated at the Peabody Institute as a student of Laurence Lesser and Stephen Kates, and at Yale University, where he studied with Aldo Parisot and was a Wardwell Fellow and a Houpt Scholar. He lives in New York City with his wife, Ilaria Dagnini Brey. They have two adult children, Ottavia and Lucas. Among his outside interests are marathon running, ballroom dancing, and sailing.
Michelle Kim | Assistant Concertmaster, The William Petschek Family Chair
Violinist Michelle Kim, born in Seoul, South Korea, moved to the United States with her family at the age of 11 and began her violin studies. As a senior at Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences, Ms. Kim received the honor of becoming a Presidential Scholar, one of our Nation’s highest honors for high school students and went on to continue her studies with Robert Lipsett at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music as a Starling Foundation scholarship recipient. She considers Heiichiro Ohyama and Henry Gronnier her mentors.
Ms. Kim joined the New York Philharmonic in 2001 as the Assistant Concertmaster, The William Petschek Family Chair. Since joining the New York Philharmonic, she has enjoyed an active career as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, Pacific Symphony, as well as various orchestras in Korea. As an active chamber musician, Ms. Kim has collaborated with artists including Cho Liang Lin, Christian Tetzlaff, Pinchas Zukerman, Mstislav Rostropovich, Lynn Harrell, Gary Hoffman, Lang Lang, Jean Yves Thibaudet, Alisa Weilerstein and Yefim Bronfman. She has performed at various festivals including the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Chamber Music Festival, Strings in the Mountain, and Bravo! Vail. Ms. Kim has also served as the first violinist of the Rossetti String Quartet.
Critical reviews for Ms. Kim’s performance include descriptions of "beautiful tone production and melodic phrasing," a "master of the musical trade," engaging with "her vivid sonority and assertive technique," and "a bold and bracing all-around musician... [who] notched up the polish and heat on the first movement's cadenza, also delivering a feverish sparkle in the upbeat finale." The New York Times stated that "Gershwin’s own suite of Porgy and Bess...sounded decidedly better, with a sweet-toned solo violin rendering of Summertime, by Michelle Kim, the orchestra’s assistant concertmaster, as the clear highlight."
Ms. Kim is currently on the violin faculty of the Mannes School of Music and New York University. Previous teaching positions include The University of Southern California Thornton School of Music and the Colburn School for Performing Arts in California. She is also the Founder of Doublestop Foundation, which provides string instruments to musicians in need. With professional instruments commanding tremendous prices, the foundation's Instrument Loan Competition gives musicians the opportunity to experience the special qualities only a fine instrument can provide through a free three-year loan and support from a network of professional mentors and partner organizations. In light of limited arts funding, The foundation's Regrant Project also provides public schools and other organizations with donations of high-quality student string instruments, working to ensure that no child is denied the basic human right to play music.
Su Hyun Park | Violinist
Violinist Su Hyun Park joined the New York Philharmonic in September 2017. She previously served as assistant concertmaster of the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra, as well as concertmaster of the Music Alps Festival Orchestra, Juilliard Orchestra, New York Classical Players, and Music Academy of the West Orchestra.
Ms. Park made her solo debut with the Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra. She swept top prizes in competitions in South Korea, including the Taegu Broadcasting Corporation Music Competition, and appeared as a soloist with the Taegu Philharmonic Orchestra. Her other accolades include grand prizes from the Riverside Symphonia’s Caprio Young Artists, Crescendo International Music, Monmouth Symphony’s Goldwasser Young Artist Concerto, and Kumho Prodigy Music competitions.
A native of Seoul, South Korea, Ms. Park studied there with Hai-Yup Yang, Ho-Young Pi, and Seong-Yeon Cho. She continued her studies at The Juilliard School, where she received her bachelor and master degrees, with Hyo Kang, Ronald Copes, Donald Weilerstein, and Li Lin. She subsequently worked with then Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and Acting Principal, Second Violin Group, Lisa Kim at the Manhattan School of Music’s Orchestral Performance Program, receiving her professional studies certificate.
Dasol Jeong | Violinist
Violinist Dasol Jeong joined the New York Philharmonic in January 2019 while pursuing her master of music degree in orchestral performance from the Manhattan School of Music. She began taking violin lessons at the age of four and made her debut with the Kunsan Symphony Orchestra at the age of nine, playing Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1.
Her awards include first prize at the Oleh Krysa International Violin Competition and third prize at the Mykola Lysenko International Music Competition and Canadian Music Competition. She performed a solo recital for CBC Radio 2’s In Concert program, and was selected as one of CBC Music’s 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30 in 2015. She is also the recipient of an award from the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation by the Canada Council for the Arts. Her principal teachers include former New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and Associate Principal (Second Violin Group) Lisa Kim, as well as Ida Kavafian, Pinchas Zukerman, Patinka Kopec, Oleh Krysa and Leo Wigdorchik.
Jeong holds a professional studies certificate from the Pinchas Zukerman Performance Program at the Manhattan School of Music, a master of music in violin performance from Juilliard, and a bachelor of music degree from the Eastman School of Music.
Jason Jin Suk Yu | Violinist
Violinist Jason Jin Suk Yu joined the New York Philharmonic in January 2015. Previously, he was a second-year fellow at the New World Symphony, in which he served as concertmaster under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas and appeared as a soloist, having won the concerto competition. Mr. Yu has also performed in the Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Atlanta symphony orchestras. From 2011 to 2013, while studying at The Juilliard School, he led both the Juilliard Orchestra and the Verbier Festival Orchestra as concertmaster and in various principal positions. He has participated in the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, Sarasota Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and the Encore School for Strings. An active chamber musician, Yu most recently performed Beethoven’s Archduke Trio with pianist Yefim Bronfman at the New World Center. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Mr. Yu started playing the violin at the age of five and attended the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he was concertmaster and winner of the concerto competition as well as a valedictorian. He went on to pursue his studies at The Juilliard School, studying with Naoko Tanaka and Joseph Lin, from which he received both his bachelor and master degrees.
Jun Cho | Pianist
Pianist Jun Cho has appeared as both solo and chamber musician in United States, Italy, Spain, and Korea. He is largely active in New York City, performing a wide range of repertoire in major venues including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, and Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center. An avid collaborator, Mr. Cho has performed with renowned musicians including Ithzak Perlman, Kathleen Winkler, and Nicholas Kitchen. He has given extensive collaborative performances at the Aspen Music Festival and the Sejong Music Festival, and served as a collaborative piano faculty at the Heifetz Institute. He currently serves as a faculty member at the Perlman Music Program, and the current studio pianist of violinist Ithzak Perlman. Jun received his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music degrees at The Juilliard School and currently resides in New York City while pursuing a doctoral degree at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. His mentors include Julian Martin, Jon Kimura Parker, and Seymour Bernstein.
James Ra | Arrangement
James Ra’s music has been described as “coursing with adrenaline-pumping energy.” Of the New Jersey Symphony performance of Awakened Spirit, The Star Ledger wrote, “Once it caught sight of the end...it was a fast sprint to the tape.” In Japan, when the Curtis Chamber Orchestra took his Concerto Grosso No. 1 on tour, they wrote: “the Concerto Grosso No. 1 had a tremendous impact on the audience. Its themes of love, life, and death were dramatically expressed.” This work subsequently aired on National Public Radio and The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, “This is a composer to watch.”
He has received commissions and performances from many recognized artists. Crescent Moon, commissioned by Soovin Kim (violin faculty, New England Conservatory) and his piano quartet MIK, was taken on their tour of Korea with Chee-Yun Kim (violin faculty and artist-in-residence Indiana University and Southern Methodist University) and was subsequently recorded and released on Stomp Records (EMI). Clearing was performed at Princeton University as part of their Atelier under the direction of Richard Danielpour and Toni Morrison. The Arditti String Quartet performed his Ephrata and Marvin Moon (violist, Philadelphia Orchestra) commissioned and performed Concertino for Viola and String Quintet. Patrick Jee (cellist, New York Philharmonic) commissioned Evocation for Cello and Piano under the sponsorship of KAMSA and subsequently recorded the piece under the Urtext label. True Worshippers recorded It Is Well and God’s Grace under the Sony label. His music has been performed by various members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, NY Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, Grant Park Festival Orchestra in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Merkin Hall, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Philadelphia Convention Center, Herbst Theatre in San Francisco, Seoul Arts Hall in Seoul, Korea, Arts Hall in Busan, Korea, Daejeon Arts Hall in Daejeon, Korea, at the Tong Yeong International Music Festival, as well as in France, India and Turkey.
Ra was the Young Composer-in-Residence at Music From Angel Fire and has also served as Composer-in-Residence for the Korean Concert Society in Washington D.C. Recently, he has collaborated with the Vienna Boys Choir on a documentary film scheduled to air on PBS. He is the recipient of a MacDowell residency, the International NPSS Composition Concours Grand Prize, the Manhattan Prize, the Franklin & Marshall College Composition Prize, the Louisa Knapp Fellowship, the John Brenton Fellowship, a fellowship at the Academy of Villecroze, and was a winner of the New Jersey Symphony Composition & Conducting Institute Competition.
Born in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, his teachers include Richard Danielpour, Ned Rorem, George Tsontakis, John Carbon, Simon Andrews and Seung Jae Chung. He holds degrees from Franklin and Marshall College, the Curtis Institute of Music and a DMA from the Manhattan School of Music.
