Violinist Jennifer Koh, who performs with the Honolulu Symphony tonight and Sunday, is living her dream — as a soloist and a messenger of music.

"I always knew music would be in my life," Koh said by telephone from her New York apartment. "I've been unbelievably fortunate, making a living doing what I love. I find this very fulfilling."

Koh, who avoids revealing her age but is nearing 30, is a Korean-American artist who was born and raised in Glen Ellyn, Ill. Though she developed an appetite for the classics while still a child, she figured she'd better explore a field apart from music — just in case.

"My first recollection of classical music is when I was quite young, when my parents took me to a local orchestral concert," said Koh. "I also remember going to the opera. From these moments, I always loved music. In a sense, I always felt it was going to be a part of me. In spite of that, I still wanted to explore different things, to expand my field of knowledge, and I was an avid reader and writer, so my major in college was in English lit. I wrote poetry and did creative writing."

Influenced by personal experiences growing up, she felt that she had to create and support a program that would give youngsters access — or even a first introduction — to the classical genre. About four years ago, she created her Music Messenger outreach program, in which she visits schools and shares her talent and her appreciation for her art with youngsters.

"I think the concept behind this began, in a sense, when I felt unbelievably fortunate that my parents started me in music, since there was little offered when I was in school," she said.

"I think it's a great tragedy that this opportunity isn't widely available. There are standard subjects you learn in school, but classical music is rarely an option. So with my Music Messenger program, I visit schools — not only in this country, but ... in Japan and Germany, where I get a translator — to offer another means of expression."

She's often asked about her ascent as one of the budding Asian performers who frequent performance halls around America and the world.

"There are a lot of Asian musicians," she admitted. "I suppose it's kind of fitting, since Asians make up a third of the world's population now. I believe it's that way within the musical conservatories, too. But I would imagine the time period has a lot to do with the prevailing (surge) of musicians now."

Koh said her grandfather had wanted to study classical music in Korea, "but he was between two wars, World War II and the Korean War, and that had a lot to do with (his inability), historically speaking. The current generation of Asians is the first to really have the opportunity."

Her parents, who live outside Chicago, were immigrants from Korea. "They basically wanted to offer me everything they couldn't have but wanted: music, gymnastics, ballet," said Koh.

When, at 15, she won the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow in 1994, Koh was off and running toward a bona-fide career.

"For me, competitions were a chance to perform, the opportunity to play before an audience," she said. "What was also nice was the chance to meet my colleagues, musicians who were as dedicated as I was, who loved music as much as I did.

"Competitions are, I suppose, an important part of growing into music, but I'm conflicted about competitions. I think that music and the arts are not competitive fields; art is about finding your own individual voice, and there's really no way to rate individual voices. So I don't believe in competitions for the competitive spirit; but they are wonderful when musicians can gather and celebrate their art."

For her Honolulu performances, Koh will perform Bruch's "Scottish Fantasy." She favors live performances over more isolated recording sessions, but appreciates the challenge of the creative experience in the studio. "What one tries to do in the recording experience is to make it similar to the live experience," she said.

Her latest CD, "Violin Fantasies," explores fantasies by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Arnold Schoenberg and Ornette Coleman.

The career puts some pressures on her social life, and she said she's frequently asked how often she practices:

"I always respond by saying that being a musician, you're that person 24 hours a day. How you live your life, how you experience your life, is filtered through the eyes and experiences of you, the artist. It's just as important to have a well-rounded interpretation of a piece, as it is to live a well-rounded life.

"But what's important is to keep your perspective; there's always tomorrow. For me, it's all about loving what you're doing at the moment you're doing it. Any other pressure is self-inflicted."

Violin soloist performing with the Honolulu Symphony (JoAnn Falletta conducting), in the Halekulani MasterWorks series

Reach Wayne Harada at wharada@honoluluadvertiser.com.