Esther Yoo first came to international attention when she became the youngest prize winner of the 10th International Sibelius Violin Competition in 2010, taking third prize aged 16. In 2012, she was awarded fourth prize at the 75th Queen Elisabeth Violin Competition; aged 17 she was one of the youngest competitors. Born in the United States, Esther began playing the violin at the age of 4. She has been living in Belgium from the age of 6, receiving music education in Europe at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Brussels and Hochschule for Music and Theatre in Munich. Since making her concerto debut at age 8, Esther has performed with many orchestras including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.

Recent and upcoming concerto performances include a return appearance with the Orchestra National de Lorraine and Czech Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra as well as debuts with The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, BBC Scottish Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Kansai Philharmonic, Queensland Symphony Orchestras, Orchestre National de Belgique, Karol Szymanowski Kraków Philharmonic, Orchestre Symphonique Région Centre-Tours and the Netherlands National Student Orchestra with whom she toured The Netherlands and Croatia in February 2013. In 2012, Esther joined the Philharmonia Orchestra and Maestro Lorin Maazel on a tour to China and Korea. Esther will make her London concerto debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra under Mo Maazel in the Royal Festival Hall in March 2014.

Esther Yoo has performed as a soloist throughout the world including prestigious halls such as London’s Royal Festival Hall, Palais des Beaux-Arts and Flagey Hall in Brussels, Tel Aviv Opera House, Seoul Arts Center and New York’s Carnegie Weill Recital Hall. Recent and upcoming recitals include appearances at the Flâneries Musicales de Reims (France) as well as throughout Belgium and The Netherlands and in Qatar. Festival appearances to date include the Rising Stars Series at the Frankische Music Festival (Germany), the Rising Star Series for Exceptionally Gifted Korean Musicians Living Abroad (Korea), the Rising Star Series of Arpeggione Music Festival (Austria), Kamermuziek Houtland Festival (Belgium) and at the Seoul International Music Festival with Maxim Vengerov. This summer, Esther will make her first appearances at the Festival du château de Chambord in France and Dvorak Prague Festival Debut Series.

Besides her achievements at the Sibelius and Queen Elisabeth Competitions, Esther has been a prize winner at numerous prestigious competitions, including First Prize at the 10th International Wieniawski Violin Competition for Young Violinists (Junior section, 2006), European Union Award for Music Art for Youth (2006), Second Prize in the 2003 International Violin Competition “Andrea Postacchini,” First Prize at the New York Music Competition (2000) and First Prize at the New Jersey Music Competition (1999).

In addition to her exceptional music development, Esther received the “Special Achievement Award” in 2009 for her outstanding academic achievements. During her final year of high school at the International School in Brussels, Esther studied concurrently at the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel. Since March 2011, Esther has studied at the Music Chapel and is now continuing to the Artist Diploma Programme.

June 2013

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