“Be happy with what you have while working for what you want.” -Helen Keller
a quote I live by—a mindset I believe is essential to having in one’s professional and personal life
Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Korean-American violinist Mina Hong had a unique musical upbringing. With her mother being a professional oboist and her great-uncle a distinguished violinist, Mina’s love for music blossomed early in her life. She attended the Colburn School of Performing Arts during her pre-college studies and continued her education at the University of Southern California, where she earned her Bachelor of Music, followed by her Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan.
Mina is Principal Second Violin of the Amarillo Symphony and Concertmaster of the Sequoia Symphony. Recent engagements include performances with the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, MUSE/IQUE, IRIS Symphony, Cynthia Erivo, Josh Groban, among other ensembles. In addition to the stage, she is an active recording artist for film, television, and studio albums. Her recent work includes studio credits on Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender (2026), FKA twigs’ Grammy-winning album EUSEXUA (2025), The Boogeyman (2023), and Blood & Treasure (2022), as well as on-screen appearances in Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen (2022) and Madison Beer’s "Dangerous" music video (2022), among numerous other streaming series, feature films, and record releases.
Mina served as Concertmaster of the National Repertory Orchestra for the 2018 and 2019 seasons under Music Director Carl Topilow, as well as guest conductors Michael Stern, Carl St. Clair, and others. She made her solo debut with the ensemble performing the Barber Violin Concerto and returned the following year to perform the Korngold Violin Concerto..
Mina enjoys teaching artists of all ages. She teaches privately and serves as Department Head of the String faculty at the Salit Conservatory of Music.
She resides in Los Angeles, where she looks forward to collaborating with musicians and composers from around the world while furthering her passion for performing and sharing classical music.
Mina Hong plays on a Ferdinandus Gagliano Filius / Nicolai, fecit Neap. 1785 Italian violin.