Age: 27
“I am someone who finds joy in both discipline and creativity. Music is central to my life, but I also love exploring the world around me, finding inspiration in unexpected places, and bringing that curiosity into my playing.”
Hyun Jae Lim started her musical training at the age of four, learning piano and then the violin at age seven: “Music quickly became a natural part of my everyday life.” She completed her bachelor’s degree as a Howard and Carol Lidz fellow at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Midori, Shmuel Ashkenasi, and Arnold Steinhardt. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree, also at Curtis, under the guidance of Midori.
Following a major accident in 2020, Hyun Jae was unable to play the violin for four years. It was only in June 2024 that she picked up her violin again, finding a new routine that allowed her to reconnect with her instrument. Since that time, she has had tremendous success, first as a semifinalist at the Isang Yun International Violin Competition (2024) and at the Sibelius International Violin Competition (2025), then winning first prizes at the Seoul International Music Competition (2025) and the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition (2026).
Hyun Jae has made solo appearances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Houston Symphony, and has performed at the Marian Anderson Hall (Philadelphia), the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), the Victoria Hall (Geneva), the Miller Outdoor Theater (Houston), and the Jordan Hall (Boston), among many others. In 2018, she was awarded the Third Prize at the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists, and was the youngest prizewinner at the Singapore International Violin Competition in 2015, where she was awarded the fifth prize as well as the prize for the best performance of a work by Bach. She was also featured on NPR’s “From the Top” 15th anniversary show that same year.
As a chamber musician, Hyun Jae has collaborated with such artists as Vadim Gluzman, Gary Hoffman, Shmuel Ashkenasi, Atar Arad, Peter Wiley, and Steve Tenenbom. She has attended and performed in music festivals such as the Ravinia’s Steans Institute (as the Starling Foundation Fellow), the Kronberg Academy Masterclass, the Marvao Academy, the Keshet Eilon Mastercourse, the NAC Young Artist Program, the Heifetz International Music Institute, the Aspen Music Festival, and the Great Mountains Festival.
Contact us to sponsor a competitor:
fondation@concoursmontreal.ca
