Yezu Woo
Violinist
Available Now!
This album marks the first comprehensive recording of Isang Yun's complete works for solo violin and duo with piano, performed with profound insight by Yezu Woo. Yun's compositions are a unique synthesis of Eastern and Western musical traditions, filled with spiritual and cultural depth. The project was inspired by Woo's admiration for Yun's genius and her personal journey to explore her Korean heritage. In collaboration with Tomoki Park and with the support of the Isang Yun International Society, Woo delivers an impressive interpretation enriched by thoughtful study and her own cultural experiences.
-Kairos
Yezu Woo is a New York–based violinist whose work centers on chamber music, artistic collaboration, and the creation of artist-led platforms. Following an early solo debut at Carnegie Hall at age sixteen as the youngest performer to present all twenty-four Paganini Caprices, she has developed a multifaceted career that brings together performance, curation, and cross-cultural dialogue.
A committed chamber musician, she is the violinist of the string quartet The Overlook and a member of the Orchestra of St. Luke's, as well as Novus NY and Delirium Musicum. She appears regularly with ensembles including the International Contemporary Ensemble and Ensemble Modern, and maintains close collaborations across a wide spectrum of artists and projects.
Her artistic practice is shaped by a sustained engagement with contemporary music and cultural history, including over twenty premieres and collaborations with composers such as Rebecca Saunders, Unsuk Chin, and Sir George Benjamin. Her work has brought her to venues ranging from Pyongyang, North Korea, to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, reflecting an ongoing engagement with cultural exchange on the Korean peninsula. As a Fulbright Scholar in Germany (2019–20), she worked with the Ensemble Modern Academy and conducted research at the Isang Yun Haus in Berlin, culminating in the first complete recording of Isang Yun’s works for solo violin and violin with piano. Her recordings have been released on EMI Classics, ECM Records, Warner Classics, and KAIROS.
This approach extends into her work as a curator and artistic director. She is the founder of the SoriDari Young Artists Program, created in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center New York, supporting young Korean and Korean-American musicians through mentorship and performance alongside established artists. She also serves as artistic director of the New York in Chuncheon Music Festival, a platform for chamber music and artistic exchange in her hometown of Chuncheon, Korea. In recognition of this work, she has been named Honorary Ambassador of the City of Chuncheon (2016) and Woljeongsa Temple (2023). She also serves on the advisory board of the Berlin Academy of American Music, reflecting a broader commitment to shaping collaborative and cross-cultural musical communities.
