As of November 1998

International Sejong Soloists

International Sejong Soloists, a newly appointed ensemble-in-residence at the Aspen Music Festival has quickly garnered praise for its outstanding musicianship since its formation in New York City in 1995. In its three years of existence, the ensemble has performed over seventy concerts throughout the United States, Japan, and Korea, where it was called a "Dream Ensemble" by one major newspaper. The members of this conductorless string ensemble hail from seven different nations (Australia, China, Germany, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S.) and have distinguished reputations as soloists and chamber musicians in their own right, having won top prizes at prestigious international competitions such as the Tchaikovsky, Queen Elisabeth, Menuhin, Indianapolis, Naumburg, Jacques Thibaud, Wieniawski-Lipinski, Tibor Varga, Hanover, Nielsen, Montreal, and Aldo Parisot/Janos Starker competitions. International Sejong Soloists is based in New York City, where it works under artistic director Hyo Kang, a renowned violin professor at the Juilliard School.

International Sejong Soloists’ recent seasons have included critically acclaimed performances at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center and at the Aspen Music Festival, where the ensemble performed to capacity audiences and collaborated with such artists as Gil Shaham and Vladimir Feltsman. The performance at the Aspen Music Festival in 1997 was broadcast live on WFMT.

During the 1997-98 season the ensemble made its debut at the 92^nd Street Y’s Tisch Center for the Arts in New York City and Ravinia’s Rising Star series. In addition, International Sejong Soloists has frequently been showcased on the National Public Radio’s "Performance Today".

Highlights for 1998-99 season include a debut at the Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C., tour of Asia, and re-engagements at the Merkin Concert Hall and at the 92^nd Street Y.

This summer, the ensemble will return to Aspen and perform with Cho-Liang Lin and Lynn Harrell. The ensemble is currently working on a third recording release for the Samsung Classics label.

International Sejong Soloists is sponsored by the Samsung Foundation of Culture, which also extends the generous loan of instruments to the ensemble - Guarneri del Gesu violin, ex Moeller, Cremona 1725; Antonio Stradivari violin ex Strauss, Cremona 1708; Gasparo da Salo viola, Brescia c. 1590; Matteo Goffriller cello, Venice c. 1715.

The ensemble derives its name from the fifteenth-century Korean emperor Sejong, an avid supporter of the arts who invented a simple alphabet to foster literacy among his people.

Click HERE to visit the International Sejong Soloists' official Web site.