Esther Yoo

Esther Yoo is first-ever Artist-in-Residence with Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

26/4/2018

“There was a magical moment in the Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 … It came at the start of the slow second movement: a brief pause, a slight intake of breath, the lush opening notes taken so softly as to be barely audible. The impressive soloist, Esther Yoo, played with cool but expressive incisiveness. Her tone, compact and refined, with a fast, subtle vibrato, displayed an inspired kind of classicism that suits this emotive music perfectly.” 

(Star Tribune)

Esther Yoo is the first-ever Artist-in-Residence with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Across 2018, this position will see six concerto performances as well as pre-concert talks, post-concert chamber music, and outreach activity with RPOResound.

Yoo’s first appearance as Artist-in-Residence will be under the baton of Michał Nesterowicz for performances of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in Cadogan Hall (02 May) and Guildford (03 May). In a recent debut with Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and Karina Canellakis, Esther’s Sibelius was described as ​“beautifully clean, with distinguished tonal luster and sinew…” (Vancouver Classical Review). 

Following this, Yoo and Nesterowicz perform Glazunov at the Cambridge Corn Exchange (05 May). As Cambridge Corn Exchange Artist-in-Residence, Esther will also appear at the Classical Late event in discussion with Composer-in-Residence Jay Richardson. Furthermore, on 5 May, Esther will premiere Richardson’s new work Here I go, a piece inspired by a series of RPOResound workshops that have taken place over the last few months involving young people from Cambridge’s Phoenix Centre, Esther Yoo and musicians from the RPO.

Next season, Esther will perform Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 under the baton of Clemens Schudlt in Cadogan Hall (26 Sept) and Hull (27 Sept), and finally Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with Michele Mariotti in Cadogan Hall (13 Nov).

Critical acclaim for Esther Yoo:

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Esther Yoo- Artist in Residence © RPO

“… she performed Mendelssohn’s violin concerto with tight dexterity and balanced grace and a tone which was lean yet strong, deliberate yet gentle. Her cadenzas sparkled, with seriously impressive ornamentation and silkily subtle double-stopping…” 

(The Herald, December 2017)