Kento Hong – 1st Prize Young Artist 2021

American violinist, Kento Hong (15yrs) began his violin studies at age six with Aimee Kreston and made his orchestral solo debut two years later in Los Angeles. He had master classes with notable musicians, such as Anne Akiko Meyers, Almita Vamos, and Roland Vamos. At the age of 10, he entered Juilliard Pre-College, studying with Dr. Ann Setzer, and went on to perform with numerous orchestras as a soloist. Kento was a concertmaster in the Pre-College String Ensemble and performed in the Juilliard Fall Benefit sextet in 2019. Kento has performed in several major venues in New York City and Los Angeles, including Carnegie Hall, Zipper Hall, and Merkin Hall. He has participated and won in multiple competitions, most recently in the 2021 Menuhin International Violin competition in which he was awarded Grand 4th Prize in the Junior Division.