Hyeji Seo

Biography

Dr. Hyeji Seo is an avid pianist in solo and collaborative works, embracing a wide range of repertoires and musical style. As a solo pianist, she had a Carnegie Weill Recital Hall debut in 2016, and performed solo works at the piano summer program, “Centro Studi Della Giacoma,” in Todi, Italy. Recently, she was invited as a guest artist at the Gala Concert at Kimmel Art Center, Philadelphia, at the Triumph Music Festival, as well as the EOULIM Concert Series at Cheongju Art Center, Korea.

Dr. Seo performed in the Piano Gala Concert for the 110th anniversary founding of Sookmyung Women’s University, Seoul, and was selected for the Young Artist Debut Concert sponsored by Music Education News, Seoul. In addition, she has appeared in many concert halls in Korea, including Kuemho Art Hall, Youngsan Art Center, Ewon Art Center, Cheongju Art Hall, and Samik Art Hall. She has also concertized as a soloist with several orchestras, including Seoul National University, Sookmyung Women’s University, and Western Illinois University as a winner of the Concerto competition.

Dr. Seo won several international competitions such as WAAEO (World Association for Arts Exchange Organization) competition, American Protégé International Competition, and the Third International Piano Association Competition. Plus, she was the first runner-up of the Honors Concerto Competition at Michigan State University, was a semi-finalist for the Lorin Hollander Award and the American Prize, and many major press competitions in Korea.

Besides her solo piano activities, Dr. Seo is a dynamic and sought-after collaborative pianist and chamber musician. She participated in a sample recording for choral arrangements, which was published by Hal Leonard, many competition recordings, and concerts with professional musicians and guest artists. She served as a collaborative pianist at Michigan State University, Western Illinois University, Centro Studi Carlo Della Giacoma Encore Series in Italy, and Ingham Festival Chorale. She also enjoyed working in sacred music settings and served as an organist and interim music director at St. Jude, St. Pius X, St. Andrew Kim, and St. Martha, Michigan.

Dr. Seo is a passionate teacher and has enjoyed twelve years of teaching experience working with diverse populations of students in various settings; she has given many guest coaching sessions in the United States and Korea. She served as a program assistant for Celebrating the Spectrum: A Festival of Music and Life, and her work for the program was selected for the MTNA Collegiate Chapters Piano Pedagogy Symposium in Texas, for additional piano pedagogy research with young musicians on Autism Spectrum Disorder, sponsored by Michigan State University, and the RAIND program. Her previous teaching positions, in addition to her private studio, were at St. Pius X School, and Expressions Music Academy in Michigan.

A native of Cheongju, Korea, Dr. Seo began her piano study at the age of six. Her primary piano professors include Kyungmi Kim, Hyesoo Juan, Tammie Walker, Zhihua Tang, and Deborah Moriarty. Additional studies have been with Hae Sun Paik, Alan Chow, Michael Lewin, Klaus Schilde, Sontraud Speidel, and Laurent Cabasso. She holds her bachelor’s degree from Sookmyun Women’s University, and master’s degree from Western Illinois University, where she was a recipient of a graduate assistantship. At Michigan State University, she was fully supported by a graduate assistantship, the Ralph Votapek Scholarship, and the Dixon Collaborative Pianist Award, earning her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance in 2018, and a second master’s degree in Collaborative Piano. In Fall 2018, she joined the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance faculty at Colorado State University where she is a collaborative pianist and teaches piano.