Twenty-six year old cellist Brian Yoon is establishing himself as an exciting young artist in Canada. In May 2012, he was named the winner of the First Prize and the City of Brandon Prize―for the best performance of the test piece―at the 35th Eckhardt-Gramatté (E-Gré) Competition for Canadian and contemporary music. He was also awarded the prize for the best performance of a Canadian work at the 2012 Stepping Stone Competition for his reading of Vincent Ho’s Stigmata.
Brian has been presented in recital by the Agassiz Summer Chamber Music Festival, the Vancouver Women’s Musical Society, the Vancouver Cello Club and the Hornby Festival. Last summer, he was invited to Italy for performances in Spoleto and at the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival. Most recently, he completed a 10-concert tour across Canada as the E-Gré Competition Winner, presenting a program focused on Canadian works.
As a soloist, Brian has been featured in performances with the Vancouver Academy, the University of Ottawa, the Guelph Symphony, and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestras. His performance of the First Shostakovich Concerto at the National Arts Centre was praised by the Ottawa Citizen as an “impressive account” with “exquisite phrasing”.
Born in South Korea, Brian started music lessons at the age of six. After immigrating to Canada, he continued cello studies with Judith Fraser at the Vancouver Academy of Music, where he was awarded the Certificate in Music Performance. He has attended the international Morningside Music Bridge Program and the NAC’s Young Artists Program, as well as participating in master classes at Banff, Domaine Forget and Orford, led by such eminent cellists as Aldo Parisot, Lynn Harrell, Philippe Muller, Lluís Claret and Laurence Lesser. He began post-secondary studies in the Faculty of Science at UBC, but eventually completed a Bachelor of Music at the University of Ottawa studying with Paul Marleyn, and a Master of Music at Rice University studying with Desmond Hoebig. Part of Brian’s graduate studies was funded by a generous award from the Sylva Gelber Music Foundation.
Brian is currently based in Victoria, BC where he is enjoying his first season as Principal Cello of the Victoria Symphony.
