Dr. Yvonne Lam

Biography

Grammy-winning violinist Yvonne Lam enjoys challenging, delighting, and disarming audiences worldwide with her thoughtful musicianship, technical prowess, and fearless performance aesthetic. She served as co-artistic director and violinist/violist for the groundbreaking chamber ensemble Eighth Blackbird for eight years, performing 50 concerts a year internationally. Yvonne has performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Lexington Philharmonic, New World Symphony, and Tasmanian Symphony. In 2017, she co-founded the Blackbird Creative Lab in Ojai, California, an intensive tuition-free training program for performers and composers. There, she aims to inspire future generations of artists to champion new work and engage audiences through innovative and dynamic performances. Her teaching and mentoring extend to various universities, and she has long-term residency activities at the Curtis Institute of Music, University of Chicago, and University of Richmond. Before joining Eighth Blackbird, Yvonne was the Assistant Concertmaster of the Washington National Opera Orchestra and Associate Concertmaster of the Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, and she has appeared as a soloist with renowned orchestras including the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Yvonne has won numerous accolades including the silver medal at the Michael Hill World Violin Competition in 2005, along with prizes from various prestigious competitions. She is an avid chamber musician, having toured the East Coast and participated in numerous music festivals. Yvonne studied violin and piano at the Colburn School of Performing Arts, later continuing her education at the Peabody Institute and earning a Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music and a Master of Music from the Juilliard School.

Research Interests