SARITA KWOK has distinguished herself one of the most captivating and sophisticated performers to emerge from the ranks of Australia’s classical musicians. Described by the New York Times as a “fine young violinist”, she has been enthralling audiences since she was named Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year (Strings) in 1998. Her cosmopolitan musical career has included performances as a solo artist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia, and North America, and as a featured soloist with the major orchestras of her native Australia. She has been a prize-winner at the Kloster Schöntal, Gisborne , and Lipinski/Wieniawski international competitions.

A committed chamber musician, Sarita was the founding first violinist of the Alianza Quartet, whose “unusually elegant sound” was praised by The New York Times. She has appeared in performances at Carnegie Hall, Sapporo’s Kitara Hall (Japan), Villa Medici (Italy), Théâtre du Jeu de Paume, and Salle Olivier Messaien (France), and has been featured at the Aldeburgh, Pacific, Aix-en-Provence, and Norfolk music festivals.

Sarita is a persuasive advocate of contemporary music. She received critical acclaim for the recording Ezra Laderman’s last three string quartets for Albany records. Her recent recording of Martin Bresnick’s Josephine the Singer for solo violin was described by Gramophone as “gorgeously executed”. Her CD with Wei-Yi Yang of C20th violin/piano sonatas, ‘Interchange’, released on the German label Genuin was described by Deutschlandfunk as “electrifying … [Kwok and Yang] manage to make each work sound unique and yet make it recognizable as part of the same era”.

Sarita was the former director of the undergraduate lessons program at Yale, and served for eight years on their faculty. She is currently chair of the Department of Music at Gordon College, Massachusetts, where she is also a resident artist. Sarita received her doctorate from the Yale School of Music. She performs on a violin from 1736 by J.F. Guidantus.