Julia Choi

Praised for her “delightful idiosyncrasy” and “narrative sweep and involving performances” (The Classical Source), Korean-American violinist Julia Ahyoung Choi is active in many spheres of the music world today.

A member of the First Violin section of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 2019, Choi has also performed as a guest musician with many leading ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Verbier Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, and San Diego Symphony.

Beyond her orchestral career, Choi is an active chamber musician. She performs regularly with her acclaimed trio, Ember, alongside harpist Emily Levin and cellist Christine Lamprea. Julia also frequently collaborates with her sister, cellist Jennifer Choi, as well as her distinguished colleagues from the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, presenting innovative programs at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall each season. In 2025, Ember released its debut album, Birds of Paradise, on the Azica Records label. Julia’s performances have taken her to prestigious concert venues and festivals across North America, Asia, and Europe.

Notable festival appearances include recital and chamber music performances at Newport, Caramoor, Lyric Chamber Society at the Kosciuzsko Foundation, Westside Concert Series, Verbier, Music Academy of the West, Pointeworks presented at The Conrad/La Jolla Music Society, Tongyeong, GatherNYC, Fine Arts Chamber Players, Trinity Concert Series, Chamber Series at Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico, Friends of Cathedral Music, and the Rutenberg Chamber Series, among others. A prizewinner of competitions including the LISMA International, Music Academy Concerto, and Caprio Young Artists Competitions, her concerto performances included engagements with the Vilacello Festival Orchestra, Northport Symphony, CIMF Artist Chamber Orchestra, and the Music Academy Festival Orchestra. Also deeply committed to contemporary music, Choi enjoys close collaborations with the composers of today, and has premiered numerous works by many longtime composer colleagues and friends. She is a former member of the New Juilliard Ensemble and AXIOM.

Equally devoted to education and performance, Choi maintains a thriving private studio in New York City, serves on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division since 2023, and is an Artist-Faculty member at the Charles Ives Music Festival since 2020. She has presented masterclasses and coachings at universities, festivals, and institutions nationwide and previously served as a Teaching Assistant in the Ear Training Department at The Juilliard School.

Born in Korea and raised in New Jersey, Choi began her intensive violin studies at the Juilliard Pre-College Division. She earned Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and holds a Professional Studies Certificate in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. Her principal teachers include Glenn Dicterow, Lisa Kim, Sylvia Rosenberg, and Sally Thomas. Julia was recently featured on the cover of Real Woman Magazine in recognition of her inspiring musical journey. She is currently based in the New York metropolitan area and is a Larsen Performing Artist, performing on a Fiorini violin. Choi joins the MSM College violin faculty beginning in the academic year 2026-27.