Folkwang

Prof. Suyeon Kang

_Chamber music | Chamber music, Violin
_String Chamber Music with Piano
_Faculty: 1

Biography

Recognized for her compelling performances and versatility, Australian-Korean violinist Suyeon Kang enjoys a rich and varied musical life.

A former prize winner numerous international violin competitions, including the Michael Hill, Menuhin Competition, Buenos Aires, Bayreuth and Indianapolis, Suyeon was also named “Australian Young Performer of the Year” at the age of 16. Her extensive repertoire includes styles ranging from early baroque to avant-garde.

Her path in the chamber music scene is particularly active: she is the founder of the Trio Boccherini (string trio) together with violist Vicki Powell and cellist Paolo Bonomini, with whom she has released several discs to critical acclaim (BIS Records, Genuin Classics).

In late 2023 Suyeon became the newest member of the acclaimed Belcea Quartet, with whom she appears regularly in many of the world’s important concert halls. The quartet is a regular guest at the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Philharmonie de Paris, Pierre Boulez Saal, Carnegie Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, Toppan Hall, Wigmore Hall, and their next season will feature the world premiere of Australian composer Brett Dean’s 4th String Quartet ‘A Little Book of Prayers’ . They are preparing for a global tour of a Beethoven Cycle in 2026 and 2027.

Between 2019 and 2025 Suyeon was concertmaster of the Kammerakademie Potsdam; 2017- 2024 she was a member of the Camerata Bern. Invitations as guest concertmaster and in recent years also projects as Play/Direct artistic leader, have led her to several self-curated projects with many orchestras throughout Europe and Asia.

Her major pedagogues have been Antje Weithaas, Daniel Gaede, Rainer Schmidt, Hatto Beyerle, Goetz Richter, Alice Waten and Josette Esquedin Morgan.

In 2023 Suyeon joined the violin faculty of the HfM Hanns Eisler, and in 2025 was appointed Professor of Chamber Music at the Folkwang University of the Arts, Essen.

She plays on a Francesco Gofriller (‘Ex- Zöldy’, 1730) violin kindly loaned to her by an anonymous donor, and also owns a custom-made violin by Julia Maria Pasch (Vienna, 2019).