Biography
Pianist Seolyeong Jeong has established an international presence as both a soloist and chamber musician. Following her solo debut at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul at the age of thirteen, she has appeared at numerous prestigious venues, including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Morse Recital Hall, Stude Concert Hall, and the Seoul Arts Center.
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A nuanced and engaging interpreter of major concerto repertoire, Seolyeong has appeared as soloist in a wide range of performances. Her concerto appearances include Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Carlisle Chamber Orchestra under Alan Yost, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with the Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra under Donald Schleicher at Rice University, and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Beth El Temple Orchestra under Joseph Ness. Her performances have also been presented at venues including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Duncan Recital Hall at the Shepherd School of Music, Morse Recital Hall at the Yale School of Music, and IBK Chamber Hall at the Seoul Arts Center.​​
Her musicianship has been recognized through numerous honors, including Second Prize in both the Solo and Concerto Divisions at the 2024 International Keyboard Odyssiad Festival & Competition, First Prize at the 2023 American Virtuoso International Music Competition, First Prize and the Audience Choice Prize at the 2022 Young Texas Artists Music Competition, and winner of the 2022 Shepherd School Concerto Competition. Earlier honors include First Prize at the 2016 Connecticut Young Artist Competition, Third Prize and the Award for Best Performance of a Twentieth-Century Composition at the 2016 New York Piano Festival & Competition, the Grand Prize at the 2011 Korean Liszt Competition, and the Grand Prize with the Award from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism at the 2010 Sungjung Music Competition.
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Seolyeong graduated summa cum laude from Seoul National University before completing her Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts at Yale University, where she received the Charles S. Miller Prize and was selected as a representative soloist at the 2017 Commencement Concert. She completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at Rice University in 2024. Her principal teachers include HieYon Choi and Hyoung Joon Chang at Seoul National University, Peter Frankl, Christopher Elton, and Hung-Kuan Chen at Yale University, and Jon Kimura Parker at Rice University.
Currently based in the Twin Cities, Minnesota, Seolyeong has developed extensive teaching and collaborative experience. She has taught piano studios at Yale University and Rice University, and served as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Tampa. She has worked at the New England Conservatory, the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and Southeastern University as a collaborative pianist, and served as Affiliated Artist and staff pianist coordinator at MIT's Music and Theater Arts. She has received invitations to serve on the faculty of festivals including the Euro Music Festival and Academy, and to appear as a festival pianist at the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival.