“This disc is a joy for the welcome surprise it brings, not only in its selection of pieces but Um’s crack performance. The violinist’s playing is youthful, brimming with vitality, and a robust presentation. Um has arrived.” – WMR

Much Ado, the solo debut album by Korean-American violinist Danbi Um is as striking for the young musician’s choice of “old world” repertoire as her virtuoso interpretations and the sumptuous sound she draws from her 1683 “ex-Petschek” Nicolo Amati violin. Danbi conjures memories of a musical Golden Age, a sensibility instilled in her by a roster of internationally renowned tutors.

The title track by Eric Korngold’s Shakespeare-inspired suite sits alongside arrangements of works by fellow Austro-Germanic composers Fritz Kreisler and Richard Wagner. Hungarian gipsy music infuses compositions by Johannes Brahms, Jenő Hubay and Ernő Dohnányi, juxtaposed with music by Jewish composers Ernst Bloch, Joseph Achron and Leo Zeitlin.