Lucia Lin
Dorothy Q. and David B. Arnold Jr. chair, endowed in perpetuity, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Eunice and Julian Cohen chair, endowed in perpetuity, Boston Pops Orchestra
About
Violinist Lucia Lin has performed as soloist, as chamber musician, and in orchestras throughout the U.S. and internationally in a diverse, multifaceted career that also includes teaching and collaborative efforts with both visual and performing arts. Lin made her debut at age 11 performing the Mendelssohn Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She went on to be a prize winner in numerous competitions including Moscow’s prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition. Lin’s critically acclaimed performances include solo appearances with orchestras in Europe as well as a recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.
At age 22, Lin won a position in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She went on to become acting concertmaster with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and then spent two years as concertmaster with the London Symphony Orchestra, where she was leader for many recordings and tours, including to Japan, Italy, Scotland, and Spain. After returning to the Boston Symphony in 1995, she focused on chamber music, founding the Boston Trio and joining the Muir String Quartet in 1998. The quartet’s dedication to teaching helped to foster Lin’s passion for helping young musicians to discover their own musical voice. With influences from her own mentors — Paul Rolland and Sergiu Luca — reflected in her pedagogy, Lin teaches applied violin, chamber music, and orchestral studies as a professor at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts.
Lin’s creativity for unique projects has helped her make connections across the arts, including in dance, visual art, and literature. In 2007, she collaborated with the dance company Snappy Dance Theater in the world premiere of String Beings, an innovative piece integrating music with dance and technology. Her newest project, In Tandem, builds on Lin’s vision of taking performance, mentoring and collaboration to new levels. In Tandem is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to bringing new voices to classical music by commissioning ten emerging composers from the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music.
Lucia Lin has recorded as a guest of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players for Nonesuch Records; the works of Bright Sheng for New World Records; and as a founding member of the Boston Trio for Parjomusic. Other recordings include works of Kreisler, Berg, and Schulhof with the Muir String Quartet; a collaboration with harpist Ann Hobson Pilot and bandoneon player J.P. Jofre in music of Astor Piazzolla for Harmonia Mundi; an album featuring works by Debussy and Ravel for Navona; and a DVD featuring the 10 duos from Lin’s In Tandem project for Ravello records. She was part of a world premiere recording of Leonard Bernstein’s only string quartet will be released fall of 2023 on Navona.