BIOGRAPHY

South Korean pianist Seolyeong Jeong made her solo recital debut at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, Korea at the age of thirteen. As an active soloist and a chamber musician, she has performed in numerous concerts including the “Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra Concert” at The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she performed L. v. Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 under the baton of conductor Donald Schleicher, “The Asian Influence Concert” at the Beth El Temple, where she performed Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with Beth El Temple Orchestra with conductor Joseph Ness, “American Virtuoso International Music Competition Gala Concert” and “New York Piano Festival & Competition Gala Concert” at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, “Sharing the Spotlight: Celebrating Clara Schumann’s 200th Birthday” at Duncan Recital Hall at Shepherd School of Music, “Vista Chamber Music Concert” at Morse Recital Hall at Yale School of Music, and “Spirit of SNU Strings III” at IBK Chamber Hall at Seoul Arts Center.

 

Seolyeong has won top prizes at international and national competitions, including 1st Prize at the 2023 American Virtuoso International Music Competition, 1st Prize and the Audience Choice Prize at the 2022 Young Texas Artists Music Competition, 1st Place at the 2022 Shepherd School Concerto Competition, 1st Prize at the 2016 Connecticut Young Artist Competition, 3rd Prize and the “Award for the Best Performance of a 20th-Century Composition” at the 2016 New York Piano Festival & Competition, Grand Prize at the 2011 Korean Liszt Competition, 1st Prize at the 2011 Samick-Seiler Piano Competition, Grand Prize and the “Award by Minister of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of South Korea” at the 2010 Sungjung Music Competition, and 1st Prize at the 2009 Ewha-Kyunghyang Competition.

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Seolyeong graduated from Seoul National University with summa cum laude in 2015 under the tutelage of Professors Hie-Yon Choi and Hyoung Joon Chang. She continued her studies in the United States and received a Master of Music degree in 2017 and a Master of Musical Arts degree in 2018 from Yale School of Music at Yale University, where she studied with Professors Peter Frankl, Hung-Kuan Chen, and Christopher Elton, as a recipient of full scholarship and fellowship. In 2016, Seolyeong was the recipient of the Charles S. Miller Prize, which was given to “a gifted pianist who has done outstanding work during the first year of study at Yale School of Music.” She also performed as a soloist in the 2017 Yale School of Music Commencement Concert, as one of the representatives of the graduating students.

 

Seolyeong is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate (ABD) at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University under the guidance of Dr. Jon Kimura Parker with full scholarship, fellowship, and teaching assistantship. She has served as Adjunct Faculty at The University of Tampa and Southeastern University and is currently serving as Affiliated Artist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Music and Theater Arts.