2024 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund recipient
With a deep commitment to musical excellence and understanding of the repertoire, violinist Karisa Chiu has earned numerous accolades around the globe including first prize of the Isang Yun Violin Competition, fourth prize and composer prize of the Menuhin Violin Competition, second prize of the Leopold Mozart International Violin Competition, third prize and Bach prize of the Stulberg International String Competition, and fourth prize of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition. She has performed in renowned concert halls such as Severance Hall and Seoul Arts Center, with orchestras such as the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, Tongyeong Festival Orchestra, the Munich Radio Orchestra, and the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra.
Having been born into a musical family, Karisa began her studies with her father, Cornelius Chiu, a violinist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She also performs frequently with her mother, pianist Inah Chiu. The Chiu family gives annual concerts at the Festival of the Arts at Mohonk Mountain House where her immediate family is joined by her uncle, pianist Frederic Chiu. Karisa has appeared in many other music festivals around the globe such as Music@Menlo, Chigiana Summer Academy, Four Seasons Winter Workshop, Music from Angel Fire, and Aspen Music Festival. In addition to her performance career, she is co-director of the concert series, Plymouth Chamber Players, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Karisa received her Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music where she studied with Ida Kavafian, and is pursuing her Master’s degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music under the tutelage of Jaime Laredo and Malcolm Lowe.