About
South Korean violinist Mee-Hyun Esther Park performs extensively in the UK and Europe. Esther strives to offer her unique interpretations for contemporary works on the concert platform while maintaining her affection for the classical music repertoire.
Notable achievements Include winning 1st Prize of the North London Festival D’Addario String Competition 2024, 1st Prize of the Royal College of Music Violin Competition 2022, 2nd Prize of the RCM Concerto Competition 2022, performing with Maxim Vengerov and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall and performing Olivier Messiaen’s Quatour pour la fin du temps at Wigmore Hall.
As a soloist, Esther has given recitals at the Elgar Room in the Royal Albert Hall, the Bridgewater Hall, St James’s Piccadilly London, Korean Cultural Centre London, and performed Shostakovich Violin Concerto No.1 with the RCM Symphony Orchestra for Maxim Vengerov. Esther has received guidance from internationally acclaimed artists such as Leonidas Kavakos, Shmuel Ashkenasi and Gyorgy Pauk.
One of Esther’s passions lies in the world of chamber music. Having been taught chamber music and classical improvisation by David Dolan and Ioan Davies, Esther has had the guidance of many artists including Thomas Carroll, Richard Lester, Andrew Zolinsky and collaborates with artists including Lawrence Power, Dina Duisen and Robert Cohen.
Esther is a member of the Brompton Quartet, the winners of the St-Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Music Competition 2019 and RCM String Quartet Competition 2022. The Quartet has performed at prestigious venues such as Wigmore Hall, Purcell Room at the Southbank Centre, Turner Sims Southampton, appeared on BBC Radio 3 ‘In Tune’ with Lawrence Power and was selected as a Park Lane Group Artist 2020-21 and Making Music Artist. They were also Quartet-in-Residence at the Wye Valley Chamber Music Festival 2023 and was invited to the West Wycombe Chamber Music Festival by Lawrence Power.
The Quartet has received coachings from eminent musicians such as Alfred Brendel, Alina Ibragimova, and members of the Endellion, Elias, Pavel Haas, and Sacconi Quartets, and explores a diverse range of repertoire from the Baroque era to works of the present day whilst collaborating with new emerging composers.
Esther is also an experienced orchestral player, and has performed in concert halls internationally such as the Konzerthaus Berlin, BOZAR Brussels and Kings Place. She has led the Yehudi Menuhin School Junior and Senior Orchestras, and co-led the RCM Chamber Orchestra alongside Mats Zetterqvist from Chamber Orchestea of Europe, and participated in festivals around the world including multiple editions of the Gstaad Menuhin Festivals and Banstead Festivals, and regularly plays with the Collegium Orchestra directed by Lawrence Power and the Philharmonia Orchestra, alongside getting selected for the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Pathway Scheme for 2022-23. Committed to sharing and giving back from her experience to others, Esther was appointed Assistant Violin Teacher to Boris Kucharsky at the Yehudi Menuhin School in 2020.
Esther studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School under Simon Fischer and Boris Kucharsky with a full scholarship from the UK Government’s Music and Dance Scheme, then joined the Royal College of Music where she received full scholarships for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies and graduated with First Class Honours. Esther is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma degree at the Royal College of Music with Professor Radu Blidar as an Orpheus Scholar supported by the Knights of the Round Table Award, and is also grateful to be a reciepient of the Help Musicians Postgraduate Award 2023.