ABOUT

Lucia Lin has performed throughout the U.S. and internationally in a diverse multi-faceted career that spans solo engagements, orchestral concerts, chamber music performances, teaching, and collaborative efforts with both visual and performing arts.

Born in Champaign-Urbana, Lucia Lin made her debut at age eleven, performing the Mendelssohn Concerto with the Chicago Symphony and went on to be a prize winner of numerous competitions, including the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.   Described as a soloist with “virtuosity and insight” who is “passionate and graceful” (Indianapolis Star), and whose playing has “a genuine fresh quality not often heard” (Cincinnati Enquirer), Ms. Lin has performed on the international stage, including appearances with orchestras in Europe as well as a solo recital at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall.  

At the age of 22, she won a position in the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She then went on to become acting concertmaster with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and subsequently spent two years as  Concertmaster with the London Symphony Orchestra, where she was leader for numerous recordings and tours, including those to Japan, Italy, Scotland, and Spain.

A return to the U.S. in 1995 brought her back to the Boston Symphony with the added focus towards chamber music, when she founded the Boston Trio.  She then became a member of the Muir String Quartet in 1998, delving into the rich string quartet literature—performing the Beethoven cycle twice as well as the six Bartok string quartets.  In its commitment to advancing contemporary American music, the Muir quartet has been responsible for important commissions by such distinguished composers as Joan Tower, Richard Danielpour and Chris Brubeck as well as numerous premieres.

The quartet’s dedication to teaching also fostered Lin’s passion for helping young artists discover their own musical voice. With influences from her mentors–Paul Rolland and Sergiu Luca–reflected in her pedagogy, Lin teaches applied violin, chamber music, and orchestral studies as Professor of Music at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts. In the summers she is involved in a mentorship program at the Tanglewood Music Center as well as an intensive quartet program at Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Many of her students have gone on to hold positions in major orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Paris Opera Orchestra, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

Lucia Lin’s creativity for unique projects has led her to make connections across the arts–including dance, visual, literature.  In 2007, Lin  collaborated with the dance company Snappy Dance Theater in the world premiere of “String Beings”, an innovative piece integrating music with dance and technology.   The work was performed for two weeks at the Wimberley Theater in Boston where Ms. Lin “proved to be as fearless and fine a dancer as musician.”  

Her newest project – “In Tandem” – builds on Lin’s vision and curiosity to take performance, mentoring and collaboration to new levels. “In Tandem is a non-profit initiative dedicated to bringing new voices to classical music through commissions of ten emerging composers from the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music.

Ms. Lin has recorded for Nonesuch Records as a guest of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, for New World Records on a disc featuring the works of Bright Sheng, and for Parjomusic as a founding member of the Boston Trio.  A recent recording with the Muir String Quartet includes works of Kreisler, Berg and Schulhof.  And most recently,  for Harmonia Mundi, Ms. Lin collaborated with harpist, Ann Hobson Pilot and bandoneon player, J.P. Jofre, featuring the works of Astor Piazzolla.