Violinist Jennifer Koh to Receive an Honorary Doctorate from the Cleveland Institute of Music

The Cleveland Institute of Music announced that it will award an honorary doctorate to Korean-American violinist Jennifer Koh at its 97th Commencement Ceremony on May 14. Alongside receiving the degree, she will be the event's keynote speaker and will perform at the Institute's Luminaries Benefit Concert.

Born in Illinois, Koh studied at the Oberlin Conservatory and the Curtis Institute. She placed first at the 1994 Tchaikovsky competition and received an Avery Fisher Career Grant the next year. She has performed with many of the major American orchestras, as well as those overseas.

Koh is particularly renowned for her championing of new music: in total, more than 100 new pieces have been written for her, including works by Kaija Saariaho and Missy Mazzoli.

“It would be hard to imagine a more worthy candidate for our honorary doctorate than Jennifer Koh,” said CIM President & CEO Paul W. Hogle. “Between her fierce advocacy for new music and probing performances of Bach and Beethoven, Koh exemplifies the exceptional passion, insight and open-mindedness every working musician today needs to succeed.

“At the same time, Koh also looks out for others, fighting to guarantee prominent places in classical music for artists of color and using her platform to elevate musicians and stories that have been previously overlooked," Hogle added.

"These are priorities shared by the CIM community, and so it is fitting to bestow our highest honor on her. We eagerly look forward to welcoming Koh to CIM and hearing her advice for our 2022 graduates."