Jiin Yun, cello

Meet Jiin

Jiin performs on Show 446.

Jiin Yun (cello), 17, from Irvine, California, is a senior at the Orange County School of the Arts. Under the guidance of Professor Joon Sung Jun, Jiin’s talent has flourished, earning her the title of YoungArts 2024 winner. In 2023, at the age of 16, she made history as the youngest principal cellist of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA), leading the 10th Anniversary North American Tour. This tour, which included a performance at Carnegie Hall, featured esteemed conductor Sir Andrew Davis and world-class violinists Gil Shaham & Hilary Hahn. In 2022, she was the assistant principal for the National Youth Orchestra 2 (NYO2).

Jiin had the honor to perform Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme with the Southern California Philharmonic Orchestra after winning the SoCalPhil Young Artist Competition. She has also performed the Vivaldi Cello Duet as a soloist with the Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings orchestra at Segerstrom Hall.

She has won numerous awards, including grand prize at Enkor International Music Competition, first prize at the Bellagrande International Music Competition, International Music Competition Salzburg “Grand Prize Virtuoso”, Golden State International Competition, second place in the American Classical Young Musician Award and in Los Angeles Violoncello Society (LAVS). Furthermore, Jiin Yun had the wonderful opportunity of receiving a masterclass from world-class cellist, Ron Leonard.

Jiin is also active in chamber music. She has been a member of Junior Chamber Music for eight years and selected as the semi-finalist of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2022. She also shares her music through volunteering in a variety of organizations, such as Back to Bach, Smile Train, Love in Music, and Dragon Kim Foundation.

Outside of cello, Jiin is passionate about environmental protection and she actively campaigns and carries out research. She leads The Recycling Dictionary, a nonprofit organization aimed to teach the public about proper recycling. The initiative has garnered multiple awards and grants, reflecting its significant impact and commitment to community betterment. Her research paper on the implication of a novel nanotechnology in wastewater treatment has been published in the Journal of Hydrogeology & Hydrologic Engineering.

In her free time, Jiin channels her creativity into literature, writing short stories and poetry. Her literary talents have been internationally recognized, winning her awards in several prestigious writing competitions.