Bongshin Ko
Hailed by critics for her “most perfect playing” (Internet Cello Society) with “great warmth and beauty” (The STRAD), cellist Bongshin Ko has appeared worldwide as a soloist with such groups as Television and Radio Symphony of Moscow, Munich Chamber Players, the KBS Korean Broadcasting Symphony, Zagreb Philharmonic, and Central Broadcasting Symphony of China to name a few. Ms. Ko was the first Korean artist to be invited to perform in China after the historic resumption of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China, and has since been invited back annually.
Ms. Ko has collaborated with some of the world’s greatest artists including Mstislav Rostropovich, Bernard Greenhouse, Sir Georg Solti, Leonard Stein, Gunther Schuller, Semyon Bychkov and Valery Gergiev. She appeared at Seoul International Music Festival to give the Asian premiere of Bernard Rands’ Cello Concerto, dedicated to and world premiered by Mstislav Rostropovich in celebration of his 70th birthday. Other international music events and festivals welcomed her to Schleswig-Holstein festival, Kronberg Cello festival, Hoertnagel Konzertdirekzion, Berlin Wall 10th anniversary concert, Rostropovich & Friends Concert (Germany), American Cello Congress, plus numerous others in France, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Luxembourg, Poland, Russia, Monaco, Croatia, USA, Korea, China, Japan and Indonesia.
She has performed to critical acclaims on NDR and Bavarian Radio (Germany), Fuji TV (Japan), TV New Zealand, TV China, Korean Broadcasting Systems and NBC. As a member of the European-based Tritton Cello Quartet she can be heard on the Musica Columna label. Her live performances of Brahms and Barber sonatas are often broadcast on the Arte TV in Korea and over the transpacific in-flight classical station on Asiana Airlines. Ms. Ko’s Haydn and Saint-Saens concerti, recorded with Munich Chamber Players in Germany, can also be heard on the SONY Classical label.
As a recipient of over 30 international prizes and awards, including the highest performance award in her native Korea and the Crossroad Award in the US for her “superior teaching,” she is on popular demand as a teacher as well as a performer around the globe. Prestigious schools where she taught special master classes include The Juilliard School, Mannheim Musikhochschule, Korean National University of Arts, Nürnberg School for Music, and Bejing Central Conservatory. Serving on various faculties and artistic groups including Cal State Fullerton, The New York Soloists, and Greenhouse Cello Foundation & Festival, Ms. Ko performs frequently at major venues and concert halls throughout five continents.
한국에서 최고의 권위를 자랑하는 동아콩쿨의 1위, 서울예고 실내악콩쿨 3년연속 우승을 비롯해 30여개의 국제적인 수상 경력을 자랑하는 그녀는 도미후 일본 후지TV 를 비롯해, 미국 NBC, CNS, KMZT, 한국 KBS, 중국 국영TV, 독일 NDR등의 방송에서 연주를 통해 많은 찬사를 받은바 있다. “광대한 테크닉” (미국 Los Angeles Times), “피와 살이 살아 숨쉬는 연주” (중국 인민 일보), “악기를 통달한 연주” (모스크바 저널), “고품격의 감동” (아르헨티나 데일리)라는 호평에 더불어, 세계적인 보자르 트리오의 첼리스트 버나드 그린하우스는 그녀의 뮌헨 챔버 협연 솔로음반 레코딩 (SONY Classical)을 “최고의 연주, 고품격 음반” 이라고 극찬했다.
현재 미국 캘리포니아 주립 대학 (풀러튼) 에서 첼로 교수및 부학과장으로 재직 중이며, 여기에 더해 뉴욕 쏠리스트 앙상블 수석, 그린하우스 첼로재단 대표이며 세계 여러 곳의 다양한 국제페스티벌에 정기적으로 초청되고 있다.