Koh, Hochman Offer Brahms Sonatas

By Bae Keun-min

Staff Reporter

Two rising young artists will perform Brahms sonatas for violin and piano in a duo concert this weekend.

Violinist Jennifer Koh, 31, and pianist Benjamin Hochman, 27, will present their musical chemistry in a June 1 concert at the Kumho Art Hall in central Seoul.

They will perform Sonata No.1 in G Major ``Regenlied'' (Op. 78), No. 2 in A Major (Op. 100) and No.3 in D Minor (Op. 108).

Koh, winner of the top prize and special prizes at the 1994 Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, is recognized for her ability to fuse intensity of temperament with classical poise and elegance. She also won the Concert Artists Guild Competition and the Avery Fisher Career Grant in the 1994-1995 season.

The New York Times once called her a ``fearless soloist'' who had a formidable capacity for ``living through'' the music she performs on stage.

Koh, born in Chicago to Korean parents, appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the age of 11. She finished her studies with Jaime Laredo and Felix Galimir at the Curtis Institute of Music in 2002. She received a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature from Oberlin College.

The violinist runs her personal education program, ``Koh's Music Messenger,'' teaching students of all ages to express themselves through music.