Korean-born violist Dr. Donghee Han is recognized for her emotionally resonant and sensitive performances. With a deep passion for both performance and pedagogy, she has earned acclaim for her dedicated and enthusiastic approach to music.
A versatile artist, Dr. Han has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer on stages across the United States, South Korea, China, Japan, and New Zealand. Her artistry has been featured at renowned festivals such as Round Top Music Festival, Icicle Creek Chamber Music Festival, Miami Music Festival, DECODA, Green Lake Chamber Music Institute, Music IC Festival, and American Gothic Performing Arts.
Her commitment to orchestral music has led to collaborations with esteemed conductors including Carl St. Clair, Charles Olivieri-Munroe, Vladimir Kulenovic, and Linus Lerner. She has also worked alongside distinguished artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Cho-Liang Lin, Almita Vamos, Timothy Gill, and Wolfgang David, and performed with ensembles like the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Cavani Quartet, and Red Cedar Chamber Music. She has received artistic inspiration through masterclasses with celebrated violists such as Misha Amory, Helen Callus, Charles Pikler, and Nokuthula Ngwenyama.
Dr. Han has a strong interest in contemporary music and enjoys collaboration with living composers. She has premiered works by Michael Kimber (USA) and Han-Ki Kim (Korea), including Kankangsule, Doraji Taryeong, and Monggeumpo Taryeong—pieces inspired by Korean folk traditions—as well as Zack Stanton’s Mourning Vignettes. Her collaborative performances have taken place in solo recitals, chamber concerts, workshops, and festivals. She also participated in the recording of James Whitbourn’s (UK) The Voices Stilled and Canticle of Mary – Canticle of Simeon for choir and chamber ensemble.
In 2022, Dr. Han was selected as an Emerging Artist at the American Viola Society Festival and the 47th International Viola Congress in Georgia, where she premiered two solo works by Michael Kimber—2020 and Quest—both composed and dedicated to her. Her doctoral thesis and recording project focused on Kimber’s solo and duet works for viola, highlighting her commitment to expanding the viola repertoire. She continues to actively perform Kimber’s viola music with a variety of accomplished musicians.
Dr. Han holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. She served as a full-time violist with the Cheon-an Philharmonic Orchestra and was a founding member and Music Director of the H Music Society, where she led the H String Quartet and H String Ensemble. She continued her musical career in the U.S., earning both a Master of Music and a Performer’s Certificate from Northern Illinois University under the guidance of Anthony Devroye and the Avalon String Quartet. There, she received top honors, winning the 2016 NIU Concerto Competition and the 2015 NIU Chamber Ensemble Competition.
She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Viola Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Iowa, studying with Christine Rutledge and conducting with David E. Becker. As a D.M.A. candidate, she served as a teaching assistant in the viola studio and a research assistant at the Center for New Music. She was also assistant to the Director of the UI String Quartet Residency and Chamber Music Residency Programs, working with renowned quartets including the Brentano, Jupiter, Miro, JACK, Daedalus, Parker, Jasper, Castalian, Dalí, and Apple Hill Quartets.
A devoted educator, Dr. Han is passionate about nurturing young musicians. She has taught at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Michigan, maintains a private studio, and has worked with Orchestra Iowa School and El Sistema-inspired organizations. She was selected to join the 2023 YOLA National Accelerator, hosted by the LA Philharmonic. Her commitment to music education has been recognized by invitations to present or participate in the 2024 Sphinx Connect: Amplify (as a Fellow), 2021 Sphinx Connect: Unity, Chamber Music America’s Power and Privilege: Equality in the Arts (2021), and the 2019 American String Teachers Association National Conference. In 2024, she was invited as the Guest Artist at Simpson College, where she presented a viola recital and masterclass. Most recently, she was selected as a Featured Performer for the 68th College Music Society National Conference, to be held in Spokane, Washington in October 2025.
Dr. Han continues to inspire audiences and students alike through her multifaceted career, unwavering artistic integrity, and dedication to excellence in music education.