Judy Kang to Release Self-titled Debut LP March 5, 2013

Judy Kang is unlike any violinist you’ve ever heard. “Most likely the only musician to have worked with both Pierre Boulez and Lady Gaga,” as the New York Times put it, Kang marries lively, evocative classical playing with such disparate influences as Bjork-inspired vocals, indie, electronica and hip-hop. Her multi-instrumental compositions, rooted in a love of classical and chamber music, explore how to make violin music for modern audiences in beautiful and often surprising ways.

Judy first picked up a violin at the age of four, memorizing a piece at her very first lesson in just half an hour and winning competitions in her first year of playing. At 11, she auditioned (with a broken wrist) for the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, and she became their youngest graduate at 17. At 19, she earned her Masters Degree at Julliard. And if that wasn’t achievement enough, she went on to become the first graduate, with high honors, of the prestigious Artist Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music.

Achievements and accolades have been rolling in since: a place in Academy Award-winning composer and electronic music pioneer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s trio, a sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall and a spot on Lady Gaga’s MonsterBall World Tour. In her studies, and in collaborating with a wide variety of artists, Judy has made her life’s work a project in which music is both personal and non-traditional.

With Gaga, Judy explored pure pop indulgence. With Sakamoto, she considered ways to splice time-honored musical styles with our most contemporary sounds. And with her self-titled debut, she presents a hybrid of these seemingly disparate influences. Channeling Grimes on a Stradivarius, Judy Kang challenges our notions of classical and contemporary music, blurring the line between them in the process.