Bio

Dr. Sharon Gayoung Cho is an internationally trained violinist, award-winning performer, and highly sought-after pedagogue whose career spans major musical centers in Europe and the United States. She is recognized for her artistic excellence both on stage and in the studio, and for guiding students to top competitions, elite pre-college programs, and leading universities and conservatories.

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Born in South Korea, Dr. Cho began studying the violin at the age of three and moved to Vienna at age 13, where she was admitted to the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) at age 15 as the youngest student in the program. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies there, passing all final performance examinations with highest distinction (5/5, Auszeichnung). She later earned an Artist Diploma from Yale School of Music and completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at Rutgers University, all with full merit scholarships.

Dr. Cho has performed in major venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Vienna’s Konzerthaus and Mozart Hall, and the Presidential Palace of Austria, performing for official state functions including events for the President of Austria and members of the diplomatic and ecclesiastical community. She has also appeared as a soloist with the Košice State Philharmonic (Slovakia) and collaborated extensively with orchestras and chamber ensembles across Europe and the United States.

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An accomplished orchestral leader, Dr. Cho has served as concertmaster of the Yale Philharmonia, Rutgers Symphony Orchestra, and Anton von Webern Orchestra in Vienna, and currently serves as Guest Concertmaster of the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra and New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra.

In addition to her performing career, Dr. Cho has served on faculty at Rutgers University and Yale School of Music, and is currently a violin faculty member at major international music festivals including Music Fest Perugia (Italy), International Academy of Music in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (Italy), Burgos Music Festival (Spain), and Summit Music Festival (New York). She also directs a premier private violin studio serving the New York–New Jersey region.

Her teaching combines the rigor of the European conservatory tradition with the breadth of American music education, emphasizing healthy technique, musical intelligence, long-term artistic development, and strategic mentorship for competitive academic and professional pathways.

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She is also the Founder and Artistic Director of Music Matters Lab Collective, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding access to high-level musical training through mentorship, performance opportunities, and community engagement.

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Teaching Achievements

Dr. Cho’s students have:

• Won top prizes in national and international competitions

• Performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, and in international broadcasts across Europe

• Continued their studies at leading institutions, including:
  Princeton • Columbia • Yale • University of Pennsylvania (Wharton) • NYU Stern • Duke • Vanderbilt • Emory • Pomona • Rutgers Honors • Manhattan School of Music • Mannes • University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna • Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin

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Awards & Recognition (Selected)

• First Prize — Rutgers Concerto Competition (broadcast on 89.1 WWFM)

• First Prize — New York Artists International Competition

• Grand Second Prize — Vivo International Music Competition

• Second Prize — Premio Città di Padova International Competition (Italy)

• Governor’s Prize — Gavrillin International Competition (Russia)

 

Performance Highlights

Carnegie Hall (Weill Recital Hall)
Lincoln Center (Alice Tully Hall)
Vienna Konzerthaus & Mozart Hall
Presidential Palace of Austria
Zimmerli Art Museum (NJ)
Woolsey Hall (Yale)
Haydn’s House (Vienna)

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Academic Credentials

Doctor of Musical Arts — Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University (full scholarship)
 

Artist Diploma — Yale School of Music (full scholarship)

Postgraduate Certificate & Master of Arts — University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) (full scholarship)

Bachelor of Music — University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (admitted at age 15) (full scholarship)

Pre-College — Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (full scholarship)

 

All final performance examinations at mdw passed with the highest distinction (5/5, Auszeichnung).

 

Professional Affiliations

Suzuki Association of the Americas — Certified Violin Instructor
American String Teachers Association (ASTA)
New Jersey Music Teachers Association (NJMTA) — Adjudicator

Apex International Music Competition — Adjudicator