Joan Kwuon
BIOGRAPHY
American violinist Joan Kwuon has been hailed by critics for her “impassioned and poised” playing, exhilarating technique and “pure and vibrant” tone and by the public for her the rare ability to captivate an audience from the moment she takes the stage. Ms. Kwuon’s virtuosity and radiant stage presence have been recognized by media ranging from The Today Show, CBS News and Lifetime Television to National Public Radio.
At the invitation of Sir André Previn, Joan Kwuon made her solo debut at the Tanglewood Music Festival performing the Brahms Violin Concerto, where The Boston Globe deemed her ”a fiery player with a commanding technique” . She has since appeared with numerous international orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, NHK Symphony of Tokyo, Moscow State Symphony, Bulgarian National Orchestra, State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico, Jyvaskyla Sinfonia of Finland, Orchestra Europa, Louisiana Philharmonic and the Sejong Soloists working with conductors Charles Dutoit, André Previn, Matthias Bamert, Thierry Fischer, Heinz Wallberg, Sergei Kondrashev, Nayden Todorov and Enrique Batiz.
Highlights of Joan Kwuon’s upcoming engagements include appearances with the Seattle Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Amarillo Symphony and a U.S tour with the State Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. Joined by André Previn at the piano, Joan Kwuon performs next season in Recital at Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Additionally, her new solo recording with pianist Reiko Uchida, featuring the Previn and Strauss Violin Sonatas, Mozart’s Adagio and Rondo, and Tchaikovsky’s Mélodie, will be released in 2007-08.
Of her recent Metropolitan Museum of Art recital debut, Strings Magazine lauded Ms. Kwuon’s “passion,” “purity” and “intensity.” A highly sought after recitalist, Ms. Kwuon has appeared in St. Petersburg, Prague, Paris, Seoul, Tokyo and at venues in the United States including Lincoln Center, Krannert Center, Carver Center, Cummer Gallery of Art, College of Wooster, Universities of George Mason, Rockefeller and Georgia.
Enjoying a number of interesting collaborations, Ms. Kwuon has performed with the Juilliard String Quartet, Vladimir Feltsman, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Bright Sheng and in duet with Tony Bennett at Jazz at Lincoln Center and Tanglewood. With Sidney Weiss, former concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, she premiered Luciano Berio’s Duetti in the United States. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Joan Kwuon first appeared with orchestra at age twelve, performing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. She holds advanced music degrees from Indiana University, The Juilliard School and the Cleveland Institute of Music and is a member of The Juilliard School Assistant Faculty.
Joan Kwuon plays the “Mary Portman” Guarneri del Gesu, 1735, on generous extended loan from Karen and Clement Arrison through The Stradivari Society of Chicago.
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