Violinist Grace Park’s appointment as concertmaster promises a vibrant new chapter for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra
To be an orchestra concertmaster is to be a leader who inspires focus. Discipline. Uniformity. They’re the conductor’s closest collaborator and a model of precision for the rest of the ensemble. When a vacancy for the role opened at the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the search was on for someone whose artistry reflected both discernment and musical excellence. Violinist Grace Park fit the bill perfectly.
At age 5, her musical instincts were already taking shape. After Thursday playdates with her best friend, Sue, were indefinitely postponed to make room for Sue’s violin lessons, Park was heartbroken. Determined to preserve their weekly tradition, Park tagged along to the lessons. She met the instructor and watched her friend struggle with the mechanics of gripping the bow—a concept Park found easy to grasp. “I just remember thinking, ‘Why can’t she get it?’” Park said. “Watching [the instructor], I just felt like I could get it. It might have actually been my first strong intuitive feeling in life.”
After begging her mom for a violin of her own, Park took up lessons with the same instructor. She began studying at the Colburn Conservatory of Music, a Los Angeles institution producing world-class talent, such as Oscar-nominated composer and pianist Kris Bowers. At just 9 years old, Park was invited to perform Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 with a professional orchestra—an early taste of the rigorous performances that would later define her career.
