Middleton Community Orchestra

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Brian Ruppert

Middleton Community Orchestra at Hamel Music Center.

Middleton Community Orchestra at Hamel Music Center.

media release:  Ryan Tani, conductor; Jinwoo Lee, violin; Matthew Zalkind, cello; Eunice Kim, piano

Beethoven: Triple Concerto in C major, Op. 56 (1803-04), featuring Jinwoo Lee, Matthew Zalkind & Eunice Kim

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D major “Titan” (1887-88)

Jinwoo Lee, a native of South Korea, began playing the violin at the age of four. He is an international concert violinist with recitals and concerts with orchestras in USA, Korea, Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, to name a few.

He is a frequent prize winner of international competitions, including 1st prize at the Sorantin Competition San Angelo, Texas (2007), 2nd & special prizes at the 20th International Rodolfo Lipizer Violin Competition in Gorizia, Italy(2001), special prize at the International Georg Kulenkampff Violin Competition in Cologne, Germany(1999), 2nd prize(1st prize not awarded), Audience & Bach prizes at the 33rd International Tibor Varga Violin Competition in Sion, Switzerland(1999), 1st & special prizes at the 2nd International Lois Spohr Violin Competition for young violinists in Weimar, Germany(1998), 1st prize at the National German Competition 'Jugend Musiziert' Categories solo violin & chamber music(1998), Special prize at the 7th International Yfrah Neaman Competition in Mainz, Germany(1997). He was the winner of the MSM school concerto competition(2008) and the Waldo Mayo Memorial Violin Competition(2009). Most recently, he and his duo partner Eunice Kim were awarded the prize for Best Duo at the 20th International Violin & Piano Masterclasses of the Music Academy of Lausanne, Switzerland(2010).

Mr. Lee graduated from the Humboldt Grammar School in Cologne, Germany in 2001. He studied with Stephen Clapp and Donald Weilerstein at the Juilliard School where he received his Bachelor’s degree in 2006. Two years later Mr. Lee received his Master’s Degree from the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Robert and Nicholas Mann. He continued his studies with them at the Manhattan School of Music where he received his Artist Diploma at in 2009 and Doctorate Degree in 2016. His former teachers include Michael Davis, Maria Giesy, Christiane Hutcap, Hyo Kang, Jongsuk Li, Igor Ozim, Jaegwang Song and Viktor Tretjakov. He has had masterclasses with Pierre Amoyal, Bruno Canino, Pamela Frank, Miriam Fried, Leonidas Kavakos, Masao Kawasaki, Herman Krebbers, Cho-Liang Lin, Martin Lovett, Yfrah Neaman and Sylvia Rosenberg.

He is currently the first concertmaster of the Neue Philharmonie Westfalen. He was a violin faculty at the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf from 2018 until 2022. In 2023, he was appointed first concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony.

Praised for his “impressive refinement, eloquent phrasing, and singing tone” by The New York Times, American cellist Matthew Zalkind regularly performs throughout the United States and abroad as a recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician. He was awarded First Prize in the Washington International Competition, as well as top prizes in the Beijing International Cello Competition and Korea’s Isang Yun Gyeongnam International Competition.

As a soloist, Matt has performed recitals at the Phillips Collection in Washington, DC, the Moscow Conservatory in Russia, the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater in Washington, DC, and the Beijing Concert Hall in China. He has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Utah Symphony, Albany Symphony, Hongzhou Philharmonic, Musica Viva Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Tongyeong International Music Festival Orchestra, Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, Juilliard Symphony Orchestra, and numerous other North American orchestras. He has performed under the baton of celebrated conductors including Ludovic Morlot, Thierry Fischer, Giancarlo Guerrero, and David Alan Miller.

An active chamber musician, Matt has appeared at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater, New York’s Alice Tully Hall, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a former member of the acclaimed Harlem String Quartet, he toured internationally with jazz legends Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, and Gary Burton. He regularly participates in prominent chamber music festivals, including Marlboro and Musicians from Marlboro tours. Alongside his wife, cellist Alice Yoo, Matt is the Co-Artistic Director of the Denver Chamber Music Festival, a premier destination for world-class chamber music in Colorado. More information is available at denverchambermusicfestival.org.

Matt is a dedicated teacher and currently teaches at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. His students have been recognized on national and international concert stages. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School, as well as a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Michigan. A native of Salt Lake City, his primary mentors included Richard Hoyt, Pegsoon Whang, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Timothy Eddy, and Richard Aaron. Matt performs on a rare Italian cello made by Florentine maker Luigi Piatellini in 1760.

Meet Eunice Kim, a highly sought-after collaborative pianist, celebrated for her profound artistry and passion for chamber music. She has shared the stage with many of today’s foremost musicians, including Mihaela Martin, Robert McDuffie, former New York Philharmonic concertmaster Glenn Dicterow, Montreal Symphony concertmaster Andrew Wan, Grammy Award-winning violinist Mark O'Connor, and Düsseldorf Symphoniker concertmaster Dragos Manza. A particularly notable collaboration is her piano and violin duo with Milwaukee Symphony concertmaster Jinwoo Lee.

Their extraordinary musical chemistry was recognized with the prestigious Best Duo Prize in Lausanne, Switzerland. Eunice’s performances have captivated audiences around the world, gracing major venues such as Alice Tully Hall, David Geffen Hall, Carnegie Hall, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Kölner Philharmonie, Essener Philharmonie, and the Dortmund Konzerthaus. Her work has been featured on prominent radio platforms including WETA, WQXR, Aspen Public Radio, and Swiss National Radio. Equally committed to music education and mentorship, Eunice is a frequent collaborator at leading summer festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and the Great Mountain International Music Festival in Korea. She currently serves on the faculty of Morningside Music Bridge and has also performed at prestigious programs such as the International Summer Academy at the Mozarteum.

With a career spanning both Europe and North America, Eunice previously served on the faculty of the Robert Schumann Musikhochschule in Düsseldorf, Germany. She now resides in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband and two sons, and recently completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Collaborative Piano at the University of Maryland.