Karen Gomyo, “a first-rate artist of real musical command, vitality, brilliance and intensity” (Chicago Tribune), possesses a rare ability to captivate and connect intimately with audiences through her deeply emotional and heartfelt performances. With a flawless command of the instrument and an elegance of expression, she is one of today’s leading violinists.

Following a highly successful 23/24 season which saw Gomyo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin, and KBS Symphony Orchestra in Seoul, in addition to returns to Mozarteum Orchester Salzburg, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic at Hollywood Bowl, Dallas Symphony and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, she continues on tour to Australasia in concerts with the Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmanian and West Australian symphony orchestras. Gomyo’s 24/25 season will also bring highly anticipated debuts with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Orchestra RAI Torino, Helsinki, Oslo, and Warsaw Philharmonic orchestras. Gomyo will also return to Indianapolis, Baltimore, Colorado, Kansas City symphony orchestras, and in Canada to the Montreal Symphony, Toronto Symphony, NAC Orchestra in Ottawa, and Calgary Philharmonic.

Other recent highlights include debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, Orquesta Nacional de España, Czech Philharmonic and Rome’s Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, as well as returns to the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and WDR Sinfonieorchester Köln.

As a passionate chamber musician, Gomyo has had the pleasure of performing with artists such as Olli Mustonen, Leif Ove Andsnes, Enrico Pace, James Ehnes, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Daishin Kashimoto, Emmanuel Pahud, Julian Steckel, the late Heinrich Schiff, mezzo-soprano Susan Graham, and guitarist Ismo Eskelinen with whom she recorded the duo album Carnival on BIS Records.

She is also a champion of the Nuevo Tango music of Astor Piazzolla. She has collaborated with Piazzolla’s long-time pianist and tango legend Pablo Ziegler, as well as with bandoneon players Hector del Curto, JP Jofre and Marcelo Nisinman. In 2021 Gomyo released A Piazzolla Triology (BIS Records), recorded with the Strings of the Orchestre National des Pays de la Loire and guitarist Stephanie Jones.

Renowned for her commitment to commissioning new repertoire, Gomyo gave the US premieres of Samy Moussa’s Violin Concerto Adrano with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Matthias Pintscher’s Concerto No. 2 Mar’eh with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington under the composer’s baton, and Xi Wang’s YEAR 2020: Concerto for Violin, Trumpet and Orchestra with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and trumpeter Tine Thing Helseth, conducted by Fabio Luisi. In 2018, she performed the world premiere of Samuel Adams’ Chamber Concerto with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Esa-Pekka Salonen, written for her and commissioned for the CSO’s ‘Music Now’ 20th anniversary series.

Born in Tokyo, Gomyo began her musical career in Montréal and New York; she studied under the legendary pedagogue Dorothy DeLay at the Juilliard School before continuing her studies at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and New England Conservatory with Mauricio Fuks and Donald Weilerstein, respectively. She also studied privately for a formative period in Vienna with Heinrich Schiff. Gomyo participated as violinist, host, and narrator in a documentary film produced by NHK Japan about Antonio Stradivarius called The Mysteries of the Supreme Violin, which was broadcast worldwide on NHK WORLD.

This is her first appearance at PMF.

Appearing on: