Biography

Helen Kim joined the San Francisco Symphony as Associate Principal Second Violin in 2016. A member of the Saint Louis Symphony from 2011 to 2016, she made solo appearances with that orchestra in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons. She has spent her summers teaching and performing at festivals including Aspen, Yellow Barn, Luzerne, and the Innsbrook Institute. Ms. Kim received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, where she was Presidential Scholar, and a master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. 

Matthew Young joined the SFS viola section in 2012. He was a founding member of the Verklärte Quartet, which won grand prize in the 2003 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. He currently performs as a member of Ensemble San Francisco. Winner of a 2007 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Performing Musicians and the Robert Vernon Prize for Viola Performance, he attended the University of Kentucky, Yale School of Music, and Cleveland Institute of Music. For more on Matthew Young, visit sfsymphony.org/matthewyoung.

Sébastien Gingras joined the SFS in 2010. He grew up in Chicoutimi, Québec, where he was educated at the Conservatoire de Musique. He received his master’s degree in music from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Laurence Lesser. Previously a member of the New World Symphony and the Saint Louis Symphony, Mr. Gingras has joined in chamber music performances with artists including Menahem Pressler, Anthony Marwood, and the Alcan and Borromeo string quartets.  

Sayaka Tanikawa has received honors in the Joanna Hodges Piano Competition, Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin International Competition, and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. She has appeared as a soloist with the Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, and the Philharmonia Virtuosi, among others. Currently on the faculty of Hunter College in New York, she holds degrees from Columbia University, Yale School of Music, and Manhattan School of Music.

Helen Kim joined the San Francisco Symphony as Associate Principal Second Violin in 2016. A member of the Saint Louis Symphony from 2011 to 2016, she made solo appearances with that orchestra in both the 2013 and 2014 seasons. She has spent her summers teaching and performing at festivals including Aspen, Yellow Barn, Luzerne, and the Innsbrook Institute. Ms. Kim received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, where she was Presidential Scholar, and a master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. 

Matthew Young joined the SFS viola section in 2012. He was a founding member of the Verklärte Quartet, which won grand prize in the 2003 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. He currently performs as a member of Ensemble San Francisco. Winner of a 2007 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Performing Musicians and the Robert Vernon Prize for Viola Performance, he attended the University of Kentucky, Yale School of Music, and Cleveland Institute of Music. For more on Matthew Young, visit sfsymphony.org/matthewyoung.

Sébastien Gingras joined the SFS in 2010. He grew up in Chicoutimi, Québec, where he was educated at the Conservatoire de Musique. He received his master’s degree in music from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Laurence Lesser. Previously a member of the New World Symphony and the Saint Louis Symphony, Mr. Gingras has joined in chamber music performances with artists including Menahem Pressler, Anthony Marwood, and the Alcan and Borromeo string quartets.  

Sayaka Tanikawa has received honors in the Joanna Hodges Piano Competition, Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin International Competition, and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. She has appeared as a soloist with the Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic, and the Philharmonia Virtuosi, among others. Currently on the faculty of Hunter College in New York, she holds degrees from Columbia University, Yale School of Music, and Manhattan School of Music.

(June 2019)