Dr. Sharon Gayoung Cho

Founder | Artistic Director | Violinist | Master Pedagogue

“Sharon Gayoung Cho shines on and off stage with musical prowess and a giving spirit.”
— The Daily Targum

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Academic Credentials

All degrees earned with full merit scholarships

• Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) – Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University, NJ

• Artist Diploma in Violin Performance – Yale School of Music, CT

• Postgraduate Certificate & Master of Arts in Violin Performance – University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria

• Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance – University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna, Austria

  • Admitted as the youngest student at age 15

• Pre-College Violin Program – Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna, Austria

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Biography

Dr. Sharon Gayoung Cho is a distinguished violinist, award-winning performer, and internationally sought-after violin pedagogue. Heralded by the Daily Targum for her brilliance on and off stage, she has captivated audiences in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and trained students who have gone on to win top prizes and attend elite conservatories and universities.

She has served on faculty at Yale University and Rutgers University and currently operates one of the premier private violin studios in the New York–New Jersey metropolitan area, teaching violin performance to highly motivated students between the ages of 4 and 20.

Born in South Korea, Dr. Cho began her violin studies at age 3. At 14, she moved to Austria, becoming the youngest student ever admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. She later continued her education at Yale University and Rutgers University on full scholarships, while also developing an expansive international performing career.

Her concert and masterclass résumé includes performances at the Presidential Palace in Austria, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and solo engagements with the Cosiche Chamber Orchestra of Slovakia. She has collaborated with world-class orchestras and chamber ensembles throughout Europe and the United States.

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Teaching Achievements

• Students have won top prizes at national and international competitions.

• Students have performed at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, and Lincoln Center.

• International performance broadcasts featuring her students have aired in Germany, Hungary, and Romania.

• Students have been accepted to the following leading institutions and programs:

  • Princeton University

  • Columbia University

  • Yale University

  • Duke University

  • University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School

  • Case Western Reserve University – Pre-Med Program

  • Washington University in St. Louis – Pre-Med Program

  • Vanderbilt University

  • Emory University

  • Pomona College

  • Rutgers University – Honors College, New Brunswick

  • NYU Stern School of Business – Shanghai Campus

  • Manhattan School of Music

  • Mannes School of Music

  • Conservatory of Music Vienna, Austria

  • Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin

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Awards & Honors 

• First Prize – Rutgers Concerto Competition (Performance broadcast on 89.1 WWFM)

• First Prize – New York Artists International Competition

• Grand Second Prize – Vivo International Music Competition

• Second Prize – Premio Città di Padova International Competition, Italy

• Second Prize and Governor’s Prize – Gavrillin International Competition, Russia

• First Prizes – Hanmi National Competition, Yejin National Young Artist Competition, Youngnam National Violin Competition (Korea)

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Performance Highlights

Chamber and Solo Venues:

• Carnegie Hall – Weill Recital Hall (New York)

• Lincoln Center – Alice Tully Hall (New York)

• Presidential Palace (Vienna)

• Konzerthaus & Mozart Hall (Vienna)

• Zimmerli Art Museum (New Jersey)

• Sprague and Woolsey Hall (Yale)

• Haydn’s House (Vienna)

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Orchestral Leadership:

• Guest Concertmaster – New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra

• Concertmaster – Yale Philharmonia

• Associate Concertmaster – Rutgers Symphony Orchestra

• Member – Anton von Webern Orchestra (Vienna)

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Professional Affiliations

• Suzuki Association of the Americas (Certified Violin Instructor)

• American String Teachers Association (ASTA)

• New Jersey Music Teachers Association (NJMTA)

• Adjudicator – NJMTA Spring Recital Auditions

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Masterclasses With

Peter Winograd, Cho-Liang Lin, Jonathan Feldman, Frank Almond, Matti Hirvonen, Steve Tenenbom, Eugene Drucker, Midori Goto, Donald Weilerstein, Boris Garlitsky, Pavel Vernikov, Koichiro Harada, Taras Gabora, Hagen Quartet, Keller Quartet

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Principal Teachers

Ani Kavafian, Todd Phillips, Dora Schwarzberg

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Chamber Music Coaches

Alan Stepansky, Tokyo Quartet, Peter Frankl

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Music Festivals Attended

• Norfolk Chamber Music Festival (USA)

• International Mendelssohn Summer School Festival (Germany)

• Internationale Konzert-Arbeits-Wochen, Goslar (Germany)

• International Summer Music School Hvar (Croatia)

• Accademia di Musica d’Estate Bardonecchia (Italy)

• Cuarto Curso Internacional de Perfeccionamiento Musical (Spain)

• Accentus Musical Festival (Slovenia)