So Young Yoon
South Korean pianist Soyoung Yoon is the recipient of top prizes in several international competitions. These include the Texas Young Artist, Russian International, Artist International, International Chamber Music, Iowa Piano, Missouri Southern, Hankook Newspaper, and the Korea Piano Association piano competitions.
Yoon has performed extensively as recitalist and collaborative artist in her native country through countless performances at the Korean National Arts Center, Seoul Arts Center, Kumho Art Hall, and the Sejong Center for the Arts. She has also been featured as guest artist in the USA at Carnegie Hall, Texas A&M University, Indiana University, Bradley University, University of Northern Colorado, Texas State University, University of San Antonio, the Texas Piano International Piano Festival and the Steinway Society. She also held the staff accompanist position for the Kingsville International, the Texas Young Artist, and the Yeul Vocal competitions. Also a featured soloist around the world, Yoon has made concerto appearances with the Nova Vista Symphony, Gyeonggi Philharmonic, Mokpo City Philharmonic, Korean Chamber Orchestra, Sungnam City Philharmonic, Gangnung City Philharmonic, Guri City, Seoul Symphony, Rumania Bacau, Moldova National, Rumania Timishuara, University of Texas, and the CCM Philharmonic orchestras.
Soyoung Yoon is also an avid chamber musician. She is the founder and artistic director of the 17-member ’WE Soloists’ chamber ensemble since 2008. Currently in its 11th season, the ensemble has become one of Korea’s leading promoters of classical chamber music.
Yoon is also a co-director of the ‘PLUS Chamber Group’ which is a smaller international ensemble composed of 6 performers holding leadership positions in the Korean classical music scene. This group explores the boundaries of classical music and crosses over into other genres.
In 2019, Yoon was appointed as General Director of the First International Tchaikovsky Online Piano Competition for Young Musicians (Seoul, Korea). She has also served as jury member of the 2018, International Tchaikovsky Piano Competition for Young Musicians (Astana, Kazakhstan).
Yoon has completed four piano performance degrees. She studied at Hanyang University in Seoul (BM and MM), then continued her studies in the United States at the University of Texas at Austin (DMA), and the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (AD). Her past teachers include Chung Yoon Park, Anton Nel, and Frank Weinstock.