New York Classical Players Announces Jasmine Choi as Artist-In-Residence
Choi’s residency will span three seasons and feature a new commission each year
New York Classical Players (NYCP) has named flutist Jasmine Choi as its incoming Artist-in-Residence. Beginning in September 2018, Ms. Choi’s three-year residency will feature the acclaimed musician performing three newly-commissioned concertos with the ensemble. Ms. Choi, well-known to New York audiences through her appearances with the Mostly Mozart Festival and past engagements with New York Classical Players, begins her residency with the world premiere of a work by Clint Needham.
Ms. Choi, called “the goddess of the flute” (Korea Times) and “one of the top 10 flutists in history” (Sinfini Magazine), performed with New York Classical Players during the 2016/17 season and thrilled audiences with her virtuosic technique and flawless interpretation.
“The ensemble instantly recognized a superb artist who really grasped NYCP’s spirit. Jasmine is an adventurous player who understands our mission of sharing public performances,” says Dongmin Kim, NYCP’s Founder and Music Director. “In the next three years, working with Jasmine will elevate our musicianship and creativity, and share world-class talent with our audiences.”
Ms. Choi will open the 2018/19 season with three performances on September 27, 29 and 30. Her first program as Artist-in-Residence will feature Pablo Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen, Op. 20, with Ms. Choi’s arrangement for solo flute and NYCP’s arrangement for string orchestra - and a new work by composer Clint Needham entitled Pocket Concerto. For each year of Ms. Choi’s residency, NYCP will commission a new work for flute and string orchestra.
“I’m looking forward to premiering Clint’s new work, and returning to this fabulous group of musicians,” shared Ms. Choi. “To perform three new works and collaborate with these incredible musicians is such a fantastic opportunity.”
In keeping with NYCP’s mission of accessible performances, all three September performances are free and open to the public.
Biography
Superstar flutist Jasmine Choi has performed across the globe in a variety of genres from classical solo, chamber, and orchestral to experimental, jazz, and pop. Her infinite curiosity has also led her to make her own arrangements of major works, including the Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky violin concertos, as well as performing recent world premieres of works composed by Detlev Glanert, Texu Kim, and Mark Laycock.
Selected as one of the top ten flutists in music history by Sinfini Magazine UK in 2015, along with Marcel Moyse, Jean-Pierre Rampal, James Galway and Emmanuel Pahud, Ms. Choi is a full-time soloist giving more than 100 concerts each season. Her previous orchestral positions include principal flute of the Vienna Symphony under Fabio Luisi, associate principal flute of the Cincinnati Symphony under Paavo Jarvi, and during the summer season she is the principal flute of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra under Louis Langree.
Ms. Choi has performed as a soloist with the Berlin Symphony at the Philharmonie's New Year's Eve concert, and with Vienna Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Salzburg Mozarteum, St.Petersburg Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Salzburg Mozart Players, New York Classical Players, Sarasota Orchestra, Turku Philharmonic in Finland, Seoul Philharmonic and KBS Symphony in Korea, as well as at recitals in Paris, Vienna, London, Munich, New York, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Ms. Choi's performance was featured during the 2018 Winter Olympics’ celebrations in PyeongChang, Korea, and Sejong Arts Center has selected her as their Artist in Residence 2018, featuring 4 solo recitals throughout the year.
As the last pupil of the late Julius Baker, former principal of the New York Philharmonic, and student of Jeffrey Khaner, principal of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Ms. Choi has studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and at Juilliard. She has recorded several solo CDs under the Sony Classical label, including Mozart Flute Concertos, Fantasy (Virtuoso Flute Works), Claude Bolling Jazz Suite, Mozart Flute Quartets. Other recordings include Telemann Fantasies, Love in Paris (from a live recital), and Trio Joy (free improvisation).
An avid chamber musician, Ms. Choi has participated in the Marlboro Music Festival, Seoul Spring Festival, Sarasota Festival, and served as a founding member of the Astral Winds woodwind quintet and Trio Morisot (flute, viola, harp) in the US. She currently tours regularly with guitarist Ben Beirs.
Between concerts, Ms. Choi enjoys teaching and guiding young students in master classes. She has previously taught master classes at Juilliard, the Curtis Institute of Music, Indiana University, Colburn School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Florida University, Universität für Musik in Vienna, among others.
Thanks to her charismatic performance style, she has been invited to perform at many special occasions. She played at the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon's inauguration reception in New York, and she was a soloist with Vienna Symphony for the opening concert of the Bregenz Festival. In 2016, she was named Cultural Ambassador of her hometown Daejeon, Korea.
Media Contact
Sarah Angello, general manager
sarah@nycpmusic.org