Artist Spotlight: Matthew Koo ’26 [Nationally Recognized Violinist to play at Carnegie Hall]

The violin is one of the most difficult instruments to play, as many students who may have tried would know. It requires extensive practice, dedication, and determination in order to master it, and there is always more to learn.
Matthew Koo ‘26 started his musical journey with no idea how serious it would become in the future.
“I started out by playing, actually, as a competition with some of my close friends I had back in elementary school,” Koo said. “It was who could be a better violinist out of all of us.” It is safe to say that he probably succeeded. Having just won the American Protege Competition, Koo is one of the most talented youth violinists in the nation. This is no easy accomplishment, and is one that came out of years of dedication and perseverance.
“The biggest challenge was probably having to practice every single day,” Koo admitted. “Consistency is really important in music but it sometimes gets really tedious.” Music leaves no room for error, and musicians must be incredibly technical and precise as they play. The process of becoming as meticulous as he needs to be was frustrating for him, but as he has grown as a musician, he has grown into his love for the art.
Koo had a long journey to end up where he is now. He started out watching the older kids “play pieces that [he] thought were impossibly hard,” pushing him to keep working hard to reach higher levels. Koo began his career in Indiana, and he fondly remembers his first teacher, Mrs. Moon.
“She taught me all the basics, and she was so nice and thoughtful and made me want to keep playing the violin,” he said. The importance of the teacher in any musical instrument cannot be understated; anybody who has ever played a sport or an instrument knows that the creation of a positive environment is essential to both getting better and maintaining motivation. Koo experienced the other side of this when he moved to California and began learning from a new teacher.
“[She] always got mad at me and she made me almost want to quit,” he recalled, and this pushed him to find a new teacher who would foster his learning and growth in a more positive way. He started working with Motoko Toba, a graduate of The Juilliard School, one of the most elite performing arts schools in the country. Toba made a huge impact not only on his ability but also his mindset, as she encouraged him to be more disciplined and purposeful in his technique. After she moved away, Koo started working with Davis Law, who he said “talks a lot about bringing the ‘story’ out of the music and expressing it.” He continued, “I’ve learned quite a bit about musicality from him. With him, I started to play the longer and more renowned pieces.” All of these different teachers had a huge role in shaping the kind of musician he is today. From a focus on technique to a focus on storytelling through music, different teachers bring different tactics and mindsets to the table.
Numerous accomplishments have resulted from Koo’s work. He was concertmaster of Galbraith for two years and Camilla Kolchinski for one year. The concertmaster is the first violinist, in charge of helping everyone tune their instruments and playing most, if not all, violin solos. He has also recently won three competitions, most notably the American Protege Competition, which seeks out the best young musicians in the country. He is also going to Carnegie Hall to perform in June.
Koo has no intention of letting go of one of the most important parts of his life in the future.
“I think I’m probably going to play music throughout my life,” he said. “But I have no intention of making it my job or anything. I’ll just play as a hobby.”
When he’s not with his violin, Koo explores other talents. He is also on the varsity tennis team, and he enjoys playing games and doing web design.