Violist JungAhn Shin began her musical journey at the Korea National University of Arts as a Pre-College student, and continued her studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin and the University of the Arts Berlin. She is currently pursuing her studies at the Yale School of Music, under the guidance of renowned violist Ettore Causa.

Starting music at the age of three, Shin studied at the Korea National University of Arts. At fourteen, she moved to Germany for her studies at the Hanns Eisler School of Music in Berlin as its youngest viola student, studying under Tabea Zimmermann, marking the beginning of her musical career in Berlin. She then continued her studies with Hartmut Rohde at the University of the Arts Berlin, solidifying her musical foundation in Germany. Building upon this strong background, she is now expanding her artistic horizons in the United States at Yale with Ettore Causa within a broader, international musical setting.

An avid chamber musician, Shin has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Steven Isserlis, Nobuko Imai, Christian Tetzlaff, and Renaud Capuçon. She has been invited to perform at prestigious international chamber music festivals, including IMS Prussia Cove (UK), the Schiermonnikoog Festival and Grachtenfestival (Netherlands), and Chamber Music Connects the World at the Kronberg Academy (Germany). Through these experiences, she continues to shape her artistic voice as a musician who values expressive communication and deep musical interplay.
Shin has also participated in numerous masterclasses with world-renowned musicians, including Nobuko Imai, Lars Anders Tomter, Eberhard Feltz, Günter Pichler, Hariolf Schlichtig, and Yura Lee, cultivating a wide-ranging musical perspective.

In addition, she is regularly invited as a guest musician with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, performing under the baton of leading conductors such as Kirill Petrenko, Gustavo Dudamel, and Christian Thielemann. Through these collaborations, she continues to deepen her artistry and orchestral experience as a member of the international music community.

Umi Garrett is a highly accomplished solo and chamber pianist, having performed numerous recitals in the United States and internationally. Most recently, she performed Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time with principal members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra including Danny Jin, John Sharp, and Stephen Williamson at the University of Chicago, and performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall in collaboration with double bassist Nina Bernat. She was also recently featured on Interlochen Public Radio as part of a chamber music residency with Viridian Strings. She has performed regularly through presenters such as the Clark Art Institute, the Dame Myra Hess Series, Bay Chamber Concerts, and the Chopin Foundation of the United States. Umi has performed and toured with orchestras such as the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony and Pops, Symphony Boca Raton, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Wuhan Symphony Orchestra, and the New Mexico Philharmonic.
Umi was awarded first prize at The Juilliard School’s Concerto Competition, fourth prize at the 2020 National Chopin Piano Competition, and awarded the John Newmark Prize for Best Collaborative Pianist for her performances with finalist Nathan Meltzer at the 2023 Montreal International Violin Competition. She has also collaborated with prize-winners at renowned competitions such as the Queen Elisabeth Competition for Violin, Primrose International Viola Competition, the Naumburg International Cello Competition, and the Sphinx Competition. During the summers, Umi is a Staff Collaborative Pianist for the Program for Piano and Strings at the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, under the leadership of Artistic Director Midori.
Umi has released three solo albums and released her debut chamber album in 2024 of the complete Beethoven Cello Sonatas under PARMA Recordings. Umi has received Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Piano Performance at the Juilliard School where she was a recipient of the Kovner Fellowship, and previously served as a Collaborative Piano Fellow at the Yale School of Music. She is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at The Juilliard School with Hung-Kuan Chen and Shai Wosner. Umi is a Young Steinway Artist.