Hyun Su Shin began learning the violin at the age of 4; five years later she joined the pre-school training programme at the Korean National University of Arts, where she went on to study under Kim Nam Yun. She began her career as a soloist at the age of 11 and has performed in Europe, the United States, China, and Japan, with orchestras such as the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington D.C., the Tokyo Philharmonic, the Osaka Philharmonic, and the Seoul Philharmonic. After winning a number of competitions in Korea, she went on to impress at the Tibor Varga International Competition (Third Prize in 2005), the Hanover International Competition (Second Prize in 2006), and the Long-Thibaud International Competition in Paris (First Prize in 2008).