Hailed by Opus Magazine as "a stunning musician," violinist Livia Sohn has performed on the international stage as concerto soloist, recitalist, and festival artist across five continents. The Strad Magazine writes that she "possesses a remarkably lithe and transparent tone of exceptional purity — virtually blemishless accounts are nothing short of remarkable. Even when under the most fearsome technical pressure at high velocity, every note rings true with pinpoint accuracy."
Sohn has appeared as guest soloist with major orchestras across North America, including the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Seattle, Milwaukee, Austin, Phoenix, and Boston Pops, and internationally with the Budapest Philharmonic, Berlin Symphony, Cologne Philharmonic, Iceland Symphony, Czech National Symphony, City of London Sinfonia, and orchestras throughout China, Mexico, South Africa, and New Zealand. A devoted chamber musician and longtime favorite at Spoleto Festival USA, she has also appeared at the Newport Music Festival, Bay Chamber Concerts, Caramoor, Maverick Concerts, and the Cartagena International Music Festival. Recent highlights include the world premiere of a new violin and piano work by composer Jonathan Berger, performed at The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., as well as appearances in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas. This summer, she returns to Spoleto for one of her most significant engagements to date: the world premiere of a new violin concerto written expressly for her by cellist-composer Paul Wiancko, co-commissioned by Spoleto Festival USA and performed with the Festival Orchestra. Other commissioners for this concerto are the Rogue Valley Symphony, Palaver Strings, and Orchestra Wellington.
Sohn is a founding member of MoVE (Modern Violin Ensemble), an innovative quartet of four violinists dedicated to expanding the repertoire for violin quartet through new commissions and multidisciplinary collaborations that address social issues and reach audiences in both traditional and alternative venues. This June sees the release of their monumental debut album, featuring thirteen world premieres of newly commissioned works.
She is currently on the violin and chamber music faculty at Stanford University. Sohn gave her first public performance at age eight and won First Prize — and the Audience Prize — at the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition at age thirteen. She trained at the Juilliard Pre-College Division from age eight under Dorothy DeLay and Hyo Kang, continuing under their guidance at The Juilliard School, where she also studied chamber music with the legendary Felix Galamir. She plays on a J.B. Guadagnini violin crafted in 1770 and a Samuel Zygmuntowicz made in 2006.
Sohn is the founder and artistic director of Coast Live Music, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating community through exceptional live chamber music.
