Soohyun Nam
Cello
Soohyun Nam - A Toronto-based Korean-Canadian cellist, Soohyun made her debut with Korea Sinfonietta at age 11 in Seoul, Korea. Soohyun has since performed as soloist and collaborative musician in North America, Europe, and Asia, appearing as soloist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia Toronto, and the Hamilton Philharmonic, among others, and in solo recitals at venues such as the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre at the Four Seasons Centre. Soohyun's playing has been recorded and broadcast on CBC Radio 2 in Canada and national TV networks in South Korea. She has performed in the workshops with legendary artists such as Daniil Shafran, Janos Starker, and Pinchas Zukerman, as well as members of the Guarneri String Quartet, Cleveland String Quartet, and St. Lawrence String Quartet. Soohyun has been invited to various music festivals including Orford Music Festival, Domaine-Forget Chamber Music Program, the National Arts Centre Young Artists Program, and to the Third World Cello Congress, where she was the youngest participant. In 2007, Soohyun was a recipient of the Galaxie Rising Star Award.
A highly diverse and intuitive artist, Soohyun loves to engage in a diverse array of genres beyond the western classical language, be it acoustic pop, jazz, or Arabic music. As an avid lover of Argentine tango in both its dance and musical forms since 2003, Soohyun has enjoyed coachings and collaborations with Rodion Boshoer, soloist of the critically acclaimed Argentine tango production, Forever Tango, as well as performances as a recurrent guest artist with Mashpotangos, a contemporary tango trio, in Toronto and Montreal, including a feature show at the Upstairs Jazz Bar and demonstrations with leading local Argentine tango and contemporary dancers. On most nights of the week, Soohyun can be found dancing at one or several of the many local milongas (dance socials for Argentine tango) in the City of Toronto, where she sometimes provides the music with her closest friends in tango.
Soohyun received her Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory of Music in Boston under the tutelage of Laurence Lesser on a full-tuition merit scholarship. Her past instructors include Bryan Epperson, David Hetherington, Vladimir Orloff, and George Neikrug.
Following her musical studies Soohyun completed a Juris Doctor degree at University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, and worked as an international human rights advocate and journalist, serving on the Board of Directors for HanVoice, a leading Canadian advocacy group for the North Korean human rights crisis, and reporting for Radio Free Asia, a human rights radio station based in Washington D.C. Soohyun has combined her passion for advocacy and music by directing and participating in various awareness-raising musical campaigns and performances, including the inaugural concert for the 10th International Conference for North Korean Human Rights and Refugees and the Squeaky Wheel tour, a transnational campaign raising awareness on missing persons and their families.