Hana Cho Becomes Vienna Philharmonic’s First Korean Member, Returns to Perform in Seoul
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
Hana Cho (Korean name Jo Sujin), a Korean-born violinist raised in the U.S., was officially appointed this year as the Vienna Philharmonic’s first Korean member after progressing through the Vienna Philharmonic Academy and ranks of the Vienna State Opera orchestra. A child prodigy who began violin at age two and debuted with an orchestra at 12, Cho described the intense workload behind the orchestra’s signature sound: she sometimes played twice a day, 7–8 times a week and over 300 performances a year. Joining as a second violin, she says her tone and ensemble responsiveness matured in Vienna, learning to produce a rounder, smoother sound. Cho will perform in Seoul on Nov. 19–20 and plans to expand her activities in Korea next year, including masterclasses and recitals. She highlights conductor Christian Thielemann as a leader who gives musicians space and trust, and hopes to blend Korean passion, American energy, and Viennese elegance in her future performances.
