The position of concertmaster in an orchestra is an important and prestigious chair for a violinist to hold. In recent years at ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ, a violinist majoring in music is usually who earns this position. This all changed in the fall of 2024 when violinist, Grace Koo, stepped into this role. Grace is a junior at ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ double majoring in Business Analytics, and Data Science and Statistics, making her the first non-music major at ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ to hold this prestigious position. Grace is also currently pursuing a combined masters in Statistics. We interviewed Ms. Koo about her musical background and her career goals.
I started playing violin in kindergarten! Before coming to ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ, I've been in numerous ensembles, ranging from the school orchestra and Cincinnati Junior Strings, to Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestras' Concert and Philharmonic Orchestras.
I've always had a heart for academia and I hope to earn a doctorate degree and teach at the undergraduate level. While I don't see violin as a central part of my professional career, it's something I'll enjoy as a life-long hobby. Playing violin is such a great way to de-stress and engage with other musicians who also love to make music for fun (I love jam sessions)!
I'm super grateful that ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ offers non-major musicians the opportunity to continue playing their instruments and be a part of the fun and welcoming music community on campus. I always look forward to MUSO because it balances out my STEM-heavy schedule and I get to bring great music to life with other talented musicians!