Lydia Hong, Violin

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Lydia received her Bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School under the tutelage of Itzhak Perlman and Donald Weilerstein. At the age of twenty-one, Ms. Hong took her first orchestral audition and was appointed Principal 2nd violin of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. A former member of the New York Philharmonic, Lydia enjoys freelancing with a versatile range of prestigious orchestras and ensembles in the off season. 

Ms. Hong has soloed with many orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra. She has won numerous reputable competitions, a few of which include WAMSO (The Women’s Association of the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra), for which she claimed the rarely-awarded grand prize, the national Blount Young Artists Competition, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Joseph and Bessie Feinberg Auditions, and MTNA. Lydia has also claimed top prizes in the Kingsville International Competition, the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, and ASTA. She has also been featured on Chicago’s WFMT, WQXR’s Young Artist’s Showcase, and NPR. 

In her free time, she enjoys walks with her dog Animal, vintage fashion, live jazz, g👀gly eyes, ducklings, and classic movies.