Choi, Young Sun


          A pianist from South Korea, Young Sun Choi started to learn the piano at age six. She graduated from Yewon School, and Seoul Arts School, having studied with Jung Won Moon. Then she continued her musical studies at Seoul National University. She earned a national scholarship for outstanding artists from the Korean government and graduated summa cum laude from Seoul National University with a bachelor’s degree in piano and musicology. Choi studied piano with Aviram Reichert and musicology with Hee-Sook Oh. After she moved to the U.S. in 2018, Choi received a master of music from IU Jacobs School of music where she has been currently studying as a doctoral student. Since 2018, she has been studying with Arnaldo Cohen and serving as an associate instructor in the piano department at the Jacobs School of Music.

          As a winner of the 26th Rina Sala Gallo Monza International Piano Competition, Choi won top prizes in many  international competitions including Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition, American International Paderewski Piano Competition, Franz Schubert and Modern Music International Chamber Music Competition, and Lyon International Piano Competition. She has been awarded scholarships in the United States, including the Mildred E. Allen Memorial Piano Award from Indianapolis Matinee Musicale, and the Ham Merit Award and O'Meara Merit Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters.

          Choi has performed with many orchestras including Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Korean Broadcasting System Symphony Orchestra, Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, Kazan Chamber Orchestra “La Primavera”, and Indiana University Symphony Orchestra. As a member of Trio Unio, she has given many piano trio recitals in various venues including Alpensia Concert Hall in PyeongChang.
E D U C A T I O N
2020 ~ Present Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Doctor of Music in Piano Performance and Music Literature (Doctoral Minor: Music Theory and Collaborative Piano)
2020 Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Master of Music in Piano Performance
2018 Seoul National University, Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance and Musicology (Summa Cum Laude)

2‌012 Seoul Arts High School
2009 Yewon School
A W A R D S
2023 Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition, 2nd Prize and Audience Prize
2022 Rina Sala Gallo Monza International Piano Competition, First Prize, Audience Prize, Chopin Prize, and Orchestra Prize
2022 "Franz Schubert and Modern Music" International Chamber Music Competition, 2nd Prize
2022 American International Paderewski Piano Competition, Winner
2022 Indiana University Concerto Competition, Winner
2021 KBS-KEPCO Music Competition, 2nd Prize
2021 Concours International Leopold Bellan, Prix D'Honneur
2‌019 Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Collegiate Scholarship Audition, 1st prize: The Mildred E. Allen Memorial Piano Award
‌2019 The National Society of Arts and Letters Music Competition, The Ham Merit Award and O'Meara Merit Award
‌2019 Ann & Charles Eisemann International Young Artist Competition, 3rd Prize
‌2018 Indiana University Concerto Competition, Winner
‌2018 International Piano Competition of Lyon, 3rd Prize
2‌017 Dong-A Music Competition, 2nd Prize
2‌016 International Competition "Young Virtuoso," 2nd Prize and Special Prize
2016 Korea-Asia Piano Open Competition, 2nd Prize
2015-2017 Korean National Scholarship for Outstanding Artists
‌2014 Samick Cultural Foundation & Seoul National University Alumni Association Scholarship
‌2014 HDC Youngchang Music Concours, Grand Prize
C O N C E R T S
2023 FAZIOLI Winners' Concert Series - Solo Recital (Fazioli Concert Hall, Sacile, Italy)
2023 Paderewski Piano Festival in Raleigh - Opening Recital (SECU Auditorium, North Carolina Museum of Art, USA)
2023 Student Recital (Jacobs School of Music, Ford-Crawford Hall)
2023 Winners' Concert of the Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition (The Katzin Concert, Arizona Sate University)
2022 Song Gang Concert (LS Yongsan Tower)
2022 Music in PyeongChang Festival - Special Concert III (Alpensia Concert Hall)
2022 The House Concert - July Festival (Artist House)
2022 Performance with KBS Symphony Orchestra (KEPCO Headquarter, Hanbit Hall)
2021 Doctoral Solo Recital (Jacobs School of Music, Auer Hall)
2021 Doctoral Concerto Recital (Jacobs School of Music, Recital Hall)
2021 Piano Trio Recital "Seocho Chamber Festival" (Sharon Hall)
2021 Piano Trio Recital "I-Eum Concert" (Samick Art Hall)
2021 Piano Trio Recital "Der Anfang" (Ensemblian Ensemble Hall)
2020 Piano Duo Recital "Two Pianist's Conversation on the Keyboard" (Salon De Musique)
2019 Performed with Indiana University Student Orchestra (Jacobs School of Music, Recital Hall)
2019 Master's Recital (Jacobs School of Music, Auer Hall)
‌2019 Premiered John William Griffith II's Snowmass for Orchestra (IU Musical Arts Center)
‌2018 Kumho Young Artist Concert (Kumho Art Hall)
‌2018 Performed with Indiana University Symphony Orchestra (IU Musical Arts Center)
‌2018 Performed with Kazan Chamber Orchestra "La Primavera" (Salle Moliere)
‌2017 Bachelor's Recital (Seoul National University, Concert Hall)
‌2016 Youngsan Debut Concert (Youngsan Art Hall)
‌2016 "The Gift of Christmans" Piano Ensemble Concert (Yamaha Artist Services Seoul) 
‌2016 Gala Concert (Academy of Music, University of Zagreb)
‌2015 Performed with Prime Philharmonic Orchestra (Gunpo Culture & Arts Center)
‌2015 Gala Concert (Tel Aviv Museum of Art)
‌2014 Samick-SNU Talent Donation Recital (Samick Art Hall)
‌2014 Young Artist Concert (Youngsan Yangjae Hall)
M A S T E R C L A S S E S
Edward Auer, Michel Dalberto, Nikita Fitenko, Ian Hobson, Phillip Kawin, Alexander Korsantia, Emanuel Krasovsky,
Kyung-Sook Lee, Christoph Liske, Glead Mishory, Hee Sung Joo, Heasun Paik, Jong Wha Park, Benjamin Pasternack,
Elizabeth Pridonoff, Jose Ribera, Soo-Jung Shin, Nelita True, Awadagin Pratt, and Sara Davis Buechner, Yeol Eum Son, 
Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian (Trio Wanderer),  Svetlin Roussev, Leonard Elschenbroich