About the Event

Applauded by the Calgary Herald as “talented, sensitive . . . brilliant,” Jiji is an adventurous artist on both acoustic and electric guitar, playing an extensive range of music from traditional and contemporary classical music to free improvisation. Praised by The Strad as an “utterly dazzling” artist, violinist Danbi Um captivates audiences with her virtuosity, individual sound, and interpretive sensitivity. These two extraordinary musicians join their talents for the Virginia G. Piper Concert Series. 

Jiji, guitar — Her impeccable musicianship combined with compelling stage presence and fascinating repertoire earned the Korean guitarist First Prize at the 2016 Concert Artists Guild International Competition. Career highlights include a wide array of venues, from Carnegie Hall to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

A passionate advocate of new music, Jiji has premiered the duo piece Talking Guitars by renowned composer, Paul Lansky, released on Bridge Records. She has premiered works by numerous emerging composers, including Nina C. Young, Gabriella Smith, Riho Maimets, Krists Auznieks, Gulli Björnsson, Andrew McIntosh, and Farnood HaghaniPour. She also performs her own compositions, incorporating electronic media and acoustic music. Her music is influenced by her regular activities as a DJ, where she highlights the electronic dance styles of happy hardcore and Berlin experimental electronica. As a chamber musician, Jiji performed with members of Eighth Blackbird, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Wild Up, and the Aizuri Quartet. Her performances have been featured on PBS, NPR’s From the Top, WHYY-TV, FOX 4-TV, Munchies, The Not So Late Show, and Hong Kong broadcast station RTHK’s The Works. 

Jiji is based in Tempe, where she is an assistant professor of guitar at Arizona State University. She is sponsored by D’Addario Strings. 

Danbi Um, violin — A Menuhin International Violin Competition Silver Medalist, winner of the prestigious 2018 Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant, and a recent top prizewinner of the Naumburg International Violin Competition, Um showcases her artistry in concertos, solo recitals, and in collaboration with distinguished chamber musicians. Recent recital and chamber music performances include such venues as the Kennedy Center, Wigmore Hall in London, and at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. 

An avid chamber musician, Um is a current artist member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Her chamber music collaborators have included Anthony Marwood, Vadim Gluzman, Pamela Frank, Cho-Liang Lin, Paul Neubauer, Frans Helmerson, Jan Vogler, David Shifrin, and Gilbert Kalish. 

Born in 1990 in Seoul, South Korea, Um began violin lessons at the age of 3. In the year 2000, she moved to the United States to study at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She also holds an artist diploma from Indiana University. Um is a winner of Astral Artists’ National Auditions. She plays a 1683 “ex-Petschek” Nicolo Amati violin, on loan from a private collection.