Praised for her “beautiful tone, effortless precision, and musical maturity beyond her years,” Chinese-American violinist Alina Kobialka became one of the latest additions to the New York Philharmonic in 2022. A “jaw-droppingly assured” soloist whose musical sensibilities make “present and future converge” (San Francisco Classical Voice), Kobialka’s sensitive artistry defines her diverse career as a collaborator and soloist. “Watch for her name. She appears to be bound for greatness” (Las Vegas Review-Journal).
Since joining the New York Philharmonic, Kobialka has worked with numerous lauded artists, including Hilary Hahn, Yo-Yo Ma, and Emanuel Ax, regularly performed in the Philharmonic’s Merkin Hall Chamber Series, and toured internationally in Taiwan and Hong Kong. A three-time artist at the competitive Marlboro Music Festival, Kobialka’s esteemed artistic counterparts include Dame Mitsuko Uchida, Jonathan Biss, and Kim Kashkashian. An enthusiast of classical and non-classical music alike, her collaborations with Jacob Collier, Chris Thile, and Esperanza Spalding challenged the boundaries of classical, folk, and jazz.
Awarded the second prize at the 2017 Elmar Oliveira International Violin Competition, Kobialka’s accolades include a laureate nomination from the 2016 Irving M. Klein International Competition and Grand Prize recipient at the Mondavi Center National Young Artists Competition.
A San Francisco native, Kobialka launched her career at the age of fourteen with a solo debut at the San Francisco Symphony’s 100th Anniversary Concert in Davies Symphony Hall. She has since returned as a soloist three times, most recently alongside world-renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. Additional solo features include the Las Vegas Philharmonic, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, and Asheville Symphony.
At the age of five, Kobialka began her violin studies with Li Lin. She continued to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s preparatory program where she studied with Wei He. After leaving San Francisco at sixteen, she attended the Colburn School’s Music Academy in Los Angeles, where she studied with Robert Lipsett and Danielle Belen. Most recently, she graduated with her master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music under the tutelage of Ilya Kaler.