SEULKI SUSIE YOO
Her Story
Seulki Susie Yoo, D.M.A., aspires to build a diverse career as a pianist, a scholar, and a pedagogue.
Recently, Seulki’s dedication to popularizing Paul Dukas’s piano repertoire has been recognized in both
academic and public venues. She received invitations to present and perform Dukas’s Rameau Variations at various prestigious events, including the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association’s annual conference, the College Music Society’s four regional annual conferences, and the Society for Music Theory (Rocky Mountain chapter) annual conference. In particular, Seulki delivered lecture-recitals on “A musico-Sociological Study of Paul Dukas’s French-Jewish Identity Manifested in Variations, Interlude, et Finale sur un Thème de Rameau” at Southern Connecticut State University, Angelo State University, Wichita State University, and Penn State University. Additionally, she presented “Revisiting the Tonality of Dukas’s Rameau Variations: A Metamorphosis of Chromatic to Diatonic Pitches” at Utah State University. Her publication of the Rameau Variation at the College Music Society Symposium was reviewed as “Yoo’s explanations are fascinating, as she lays out the political and social context in France between the fall of the Second Empire and the formation of the Vichy government in 1940.” by Diana Shapiro, Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater.
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As a laureate of multiple international competitions, including the 5th Quebec International Competition (Canada), the 1st Sofia and Carlo “Arthur Rubinstein” Competition (Spain), the 2nd World Piano Teachers Association International Competition (Finland), Puigcerdà International Festival Competition
(Spain), and a finalist in the 39th Delia Steinberg International Competition (Spain) and the 17th Brahms
International Competition (Austria), Seulki has been invited to perform solo and in ensemble across the globe, from Europe and North America to Asia. She performed at various venues including Studzinsky Hall (Brunswick, ME, USA), Brodbeck Music Hall (Frederick, MD, USA), Friedberg Hall (Baltimore, MD, USA), Trachte Music Center (Williamsport, PA, USA), Wiener Saal (Salzburg, Austria), Palau de la Música Catalana (Barcelona, Spain), Museu Cerda (Puigcerdà, Spain), Sejong Art Center (Seoul, Korea), KNUA Hall (Seoul, Korea), and Act City Hamamatsu Concert Hall (Hamamatsu, Japan).
Seulki approaches pedagogy with passion and respect. She recently received the Teacher Recognition
at Clara Schumann International Competition, and her pedagogy was nominated for the Harold F. Martin GA Outstanding Teaching Award at Penn State University. Her students at Penn State have evaluated her teaching as “the most positive and optimistic class I’ve had in a long time” and “a great instructor who is attentive to the needs of her students”. Seulki’s students have also achieved noteworthy success, winning prizes at Manhattan International Competition, London International Competition, and Mozart International Competition.
Seulki recently had the honor of presenting her study on "A Study of Classical Musicians’ Mental
Health through Darren Aronofsky’s Film ‘Black Swan (2010)’” at the College Music Society National Annual Conference in Miami. She's thrilled to share that she will be presenting at The Jewish Studies and Music Study Group of the American Musicological Society, performing at the Gilmore Festival as a Fellow, and releasing her recording album “Paul Dukas Entire Piano Collection” through Sheva Collection Label in the UK in 2024.
Seulki holds an A.D. from Peabody Conservatory, a D.M.A. and M.A. from Penn State University, and M.M./A.D. and B.M. from Korea National University of Arts. Her commitment to academic excellence is evident through her membership in the academic honor society Pi Kappa Lambda.