Twenty year old cellist Ashley Ryoo is a native of Orange County, California, where she began her musical studies on the violin at age two before beginning the cello at age six. She completedher pre-college studies under Clive Greensmith at the Colburn School and is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University under the tutelage of Hans Jørgen Jensen.
Ashley maintains an active performance schedule as an orchestral, chamber, and solo musician. She is in her second season with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, where she has served as principal cellist. She regularly performs at Chicago’s Symphony Center, has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and serves as a substitute cellist with the Pacific Symphony. She has performed under the baton of conductors including Jaap van Zweden, Ken David Masur, Thomas Wilkins, and Dame Jane Glover.
As a soloist, she has appeared with the Bellflower Symphony Orchestra, the South Coast Symphony, and the Korean American Youth Symphony, and has performed at venues such as Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall.
Her extensive chamber experience encompasses performances with various chamber settings, including piano trios, string quartets, clarinet quintets, and cello quartets at the Colburn School and Northwestern University. As a Yamaha Young Performing Artist, Ashley has also been invited to perform in chamber recitals alongside Yamaha Artists. She currently serves as the cellist of Chicago based Nova Linea Musica’s ensemble in residence.
In previous summers, Ashley has studied at the Meadowmount School of Music and the Montecito International Music Festival and has been invited to perform in masterclasses for La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest and Cello Fresno.
In addition to her musical career, Ashley is an accomplished figure skater. A U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist and two-time U.S. National Championship competitor, her athletic honors include regional titles and three sectional silver medals. She is also the co-founder of Northwestern University’s intercollegiate figure skating team, who qualified for the National Intercollegiate Final in its inaugural competitive season.
