Grammy Awards: Korean-American violinist Jennifer Koh’s pandemic masterpiece wins Best Instrumental Solo

Korean-American violinist Jennifer Koh won the Best Instrumental Solo at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards for her recording “Alone Together”, a project born out of the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial hardship it wreaked on so many musicians and artists.

The album released by Cedille Records was recorded in February and March 2021, during the second year of the pandemic, and features 40 compelling world premiere recordings of new works by established and emerging composers.

At the young age of 11, she made her debut with the Chicago Symphony, performing Paganini’s first concerto. Koh shared second place in the 1994 Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition at age 17.

Koh is the founder and artistic director of New York’s ARCO Collaborative, an artist-driven non-profit that promotes women and artists of color in classical music.