About
Pianist Rachel Yunkyung Choo has been praised for her artistry and musical sensitivity and enjoys an active career as a soloist and chamber musician. The New York Sun lauded her Lincoln Center debut as a “perfect” playing exhibited “a strong-handed air of confidence,” and The New York Times music critic James Oestreich wrote of her recent Carnegie Hall performance, “Rachel Choo stood out among the players.” Rachel made her U.S. debut at the David Geffen Hall (formerly Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center with the Juilliard Orchestra under maestro James Colon.
A native of Seoul, Korea, Rachel gave her first public solo recital at the age of 12 at Kum-ho Arts Hall as part of the Prodigy Concert Series, marking the beginning of her distinguished performing career. Her performances have included solo recitals and chamber concerts at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, the Kumho Art Hall, the Seoul Arts Center, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, the Youngsan Art Hall, the Marc A. Scorca Hall, the Paul Hall at the Juilliard School, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. In 2021, she was featured in the Rising Artists’ Series at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Korea. Rachel has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, including Korean National University of Arts Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, Rutgers Symphony Orchestra, The Juilliard Orchestra, and TBC Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. The performances and interviews have been broadcast on Cleveland’s WCLV Radio, New Jersey’s WWFM, and Korea's KBS Classic FM Radio. Rachel has received many international awards from esteemed competitions in South Korea and U.S. Rachel’s ongoing project since 2018 involves performing and recording the complete cycle of L.V. Beethoven’s ten sonatas for piano and violin with acclaimed violinist Todd Phillips, a member of the Orion String Quartet. The recordings have been featured on The Violin Channel, Classic 107.3, Kirshbaum Associates, Purchase College, Bard Conservatory, the Skillman Digital Concert Series, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Broadcast.
Rachel received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University under the tutelage of Min Kwon. Her doctoral thesis, The Life and Work of the Trailblazing Female Composer, Louise Farrenc, reflects her commitment to highlighting underrepresented voices in music history. She was the recipient of the Arthur G. Humphrey Memorial Prize and the Music Department Award at Rutgers. She also received the Alice Dreyfus Netter Scholarship, the Carl Friedberg Memorial Scholarship in Piano, and the Howard and Ethel Ross Piano Scholarship during her studies at The Juilliard School, where she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees under Yoheved Kaplinsky and Matti Raekallio. She earned her Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University under Yong Hi Moon.
Outside of the stage, Rachel serves as a faculty member at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, where she oversees the Undergraduate Piano Proficiency and Chamber Music program. Rachel is a co-founder of a non-profit organization, gatchi where she focuses on promoting new music of Asia and America.
A native of Seoul, Korea, Rachel gave her first public solo recital at the age of 12 at Kum-ho Arts Hall as part of the Prodigy Concert Series, marking the beginning of her distinguished performing career. Her performances have included solo recitals and chamber concerts at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, the Kumho Art Hall, the Seoul Arts Center, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, the Youngsan Art Hall, the Marc A. Scorca Hall, the Paul Hall at the Juilliard School, the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. In 2021, she was featured in the Rising Artists’ Series at Lotte Concert Hall in Seoul, Korea. Rachel has appeared as a soloist with several orchestras, including Korean National University of Arts Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, Rutgers Symphony Orchestra, The Juilliard Orchestra, and TBC Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. The performances and interviews have been broadcast on Cleveland’s WCLV Radio, New Jersey’s WWFM, and Korea's KBS Classic FM Radio. Rachel has received many international awards from esteemed competitions in South Korea and U.S. Rachel’s ongoing project since 2018 involves performing and recording the complete cycle of L.V. Beethoven’s ten sonatas for piano and violin with acclaimed violinist Todd Phillips, a member of the Orion String Quartet. The recordings have been featured on The Violin Channel, Classic 107.3, Kirshbaum Associates, Purchase College, Bard Conservatory, the Skillman Digital Concert Series, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Broadcast.
Rachel received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University under the tutelage of Min Kwon. Her doctoral thesis, The Life and Work of the Trailblazing Female Composer, Louise Farrenc, reflects her commitment to highlighting underrepresented voices in music history. She was the recipient of the Arthur G. Humphrey Memorial Prize and the Music Department Award at Rutgers. She also received the Alice Dreyfus Netter Scholarship, the Carl Friedberg Memorial Scholarship in Piano, and the Howard and Ethel Ross Piano Scholarship during her studies at The Juilliard School, where she completed both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees under Yoheved Kaplinsky and Matti Raekallio. She earned her Graduate Performance Diploma at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University under Yong Hi Moon.
Outside of the stage, Rachel serves as a faculty member at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, where she oversees the Undergraduate Piano Proficiency and Chamber Music program. Rachel is a co-founder of a non-profit organization, gatchi where she focuses on promoting new music of Asia and America.
