Hong-Yi Mo

Violinist Hong-Yi Mo joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in October 2008. Before joining the DSO, Mo studied with legendary New York Philharmonic Concertmaster Glenn Dicterow and Principal Second Violin Lisa Kim at the Manhattan School of Music.

Mo began studying violin at age four and entered the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing at age 13. He received a Bachelor of Music from the Oberlin Conservatory and holds a Master of Music from Yale University. His primary teachers include Yaoji Lin, Taras Gabora, Milan Vitek, Syoko Aki, and Ann Kavafian.

An active chamber musician, Mo has performed at the Bowdoin International Music Festival (ME), the Casalmaggoire Music Festive in Italy, the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara (CA), and extensively in chamber ensembles with his DSO colleagues.

As a soloist, Mo made his debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Music Director Emeritus Leonard Slatkin in 2014. His other solo appearances include performances with the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra and the China National Youth Orchestra.

As an orchestral musician, Mo has worked with prominent leaders of top orchestras throughout the US including Concertmaster David Chen of the Metropolitan Opera, Martin Chalifour of the LA Philharmonic, David Kim of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and Eric Wyrick of the New Jersey Symphony and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He has led numerous concerts with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble; served as Concertmaster of the Bowdoin Festival Orchestra and the Manhattan Symphony under the baton of Maestro Kurt Masur; and has led the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall with Pinchas Zukerman.

In addition to his performance activities, Mo is a dedicated educator and frequently coaches the DSO Civic Youth Ensembles as well as middle school orchestras throughout the metro-Detroit area. He maintains a private violin studio in Ann Arbor, where he lives with his wife.