Jennifer Koh, violin

Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh is recognized for her fierce musical intelligence, dazzling virtuosity, and relentless commitment to innovation in classical music. Renowned for her ability to bridge centuries of repertoire with bold contemporary voices, she has premiered over 100 works and redefined the role of the modern violinist through her commissioning projects, interdisciplinary collaborations, and curatorial leadership.

Koh’s 2025–2026 season highlights her dynamic presence both on stage and behind the scenes. Now in her third year as Artistic Director of the Fortas Chamber Music Concerts at the Kennedy Center, she continues to shape the series with a focus on artistic equity, musical evolution, and bold new work. Under her leadership, Fortas has commissioned over 40 new compositions to date. This season, as part of the series, Koh performs Bridge to Beethoven with longtime collaborator pianist Thomas Sauer, pairing Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata with Vijay Iyer’s Bridgetower Fantasy. She has also curated performances by artists including Nicholas Phan and Myra Huang, Brentano Quartet with Hsin-Yun Huang, Takács Quartet with Jordan Bak, Viano Quartet with Anthony McGill, and yMusic. 

Koh begins the season in residence at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore and performs Brahms’s Violin Concerto with the Shreveport Symphony conducted by Michael Butterman. Additional engagements include a San Francisco Performances recital with Sauer featuring the west coast premiere of Tania León’s Para, and performances honoring Philip Glass’ 90th Birthday Violin with the Vermont Symphony and the Atlanta Symphony, performing his Violin Concerto No. 1.

She returns to her alma mater for an extended residency with Oberlin College's Contemporary Music Ensemble, where she will continue exploring her New American Concerto series, a multi-year initiative reimagining the violin concerto form through collaborations with composers. This year, the programs feature Courtney Bryan's Syzygy, a work inspired by artists Alma Thomas, Frida Kahlo, and Maya Ying Lin, with movements corresponding to each artist's work, and Vijay Iyer's Trouble. She will also appear with the Boulder Philharmonic performing Barber’s Violin Concerto.

Founder of the nonprofit ARCO Collaborative, Koh advocates for works by women and artists of color and remains a powerful voice for inclusion and innovation in classical music. She is also on faculty at the Mannes School of Music and frequently appears in residence at major universities.

For more, visit jenniferkoh.com.