New York Philharmonic Appoints Three New Violinists

I-Jung Huang, Alina Kobialka, and Audrey Wright are the orchestra's first new appointments since the pandemic began

The New York Philharmonic recently announced the appointment of three new violinists:  I-Jung Huang, Alina Kobialka, and Audrey Wright.

Huang comes to New York from a position at the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, where she has been a member of the first violin section since 2020. She studied at the Manhattan School of Music, the New England Conservatory, and The Juilliard School, often serving as the concertmaster in those orchestras. Huang received First Prize at the 2017 Ima Hogg Concerto Competition and the 2016 Hudson Valley String Competition — and was a laureate of the 2015 Michael Hill International Violin Competition.

Kobialka has played in a range of orchestras across America, including the San Francisco Symphony and the Las Vegas Philharmonic. A graduate of the Colburn School Music Academy Program, DePaul University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music, she has also received prizes at the Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition, the Irving M. Klein International Competition, and received the Grand Prize at the Mondavi Center National Young Artists Competition.

Wright has extensive musical leadership experience in the orchestral sphere. She has held the associate concertmaster position at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and continues to lead the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, she often leads the orchestra at the Verbier Festival and has appeared as a soloist with the New World Symphony and Cape Symphony Orchestra. She is a graduate of the New England Conservatory and the University of Maryland.

"I'm so excited to share that I'll be joining the violin section of the New York Philharmonic!" wrote Huang on social media.

"We are thrilled to congratulate CIM alumna Alina Kobialka (BM '20, MM '21, I. Kaler) on her appointment to the violin section of the world-renowned New York Philharmonic!" wrote the Cleveland Institute of Music.