“The Goddess of Flute”- Korea Times
“Jasmine Choi is a revisionist”- Philadelphia Inquirer
“Anyone who hears Jasmine Choi’s performance will encounter a totally new level of flute playing” – Nikkei Daily Newspaper, Japan
“One of best flutists in the history of music”- Sinfini Magazine, UK
Flutist Jasmine Choi is one of the most celebrated flutists of our time, known for her virtuosity and refined musicianship, as well as her adventurous projects. She has performed across the globe in a variety of genres from classical solo, chamber, and orchestral to experimental, jazz, and pop.
A former principal flute of the Vienna Symphony under Fabio Luisi and associate principal of the Cincinnati Symphony under Paavo Jarvi, Ms. Choi has performed as a soloist with the Vienna Symphony, Salzburg Mozarteum, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Salzburg Mozart Players, Berlin Symphony, New York Classical Players, Seoul Philharmonic, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, as well as at recitals in Paris, Vienna, London, Munich, Geneva, New York, Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong.
Her infinite curiosity has also led her to make her own arrangements of major works, including the Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky violin concertos, as well as performing new works by living composers. She has published numerous arrangements of hers through Theodore Presser Company and has premiered more than 10 flute concertos written for her.
Ms. Choi has been the Artist-in-Residence of the New York Classical Players for three consecutive seasons (2018-2021) and served as the Artist-in-Residence at Sejong Arts Center in Seoul for its 40th-anniversary season.
She has recorded several solo CDs under the Sony Classical label, including Mozart flute concertos, Fantasy (virtuoso flute works), Claude Bolling’s Jazz Suite, Mozart flute quartets, and works of Brahms, Schumann, and Reinecke. Other recordings include Telemann fantasies, Love in Paris (from a live recital), Trio Joy (free improvisation), and three single albums including her arrangement of Paganini’s Caprice No. 24, Clarke’s Great Train Race and Reichert’s Encore Solo.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Choi has started sharing educational videos on YouTube for the advanced flutists, as well as collaborating with young pianists and introducing them in order to kickstart their careers and interviewing leading classical musicians via live streaming and recorded videos.
In May 2021, Ms. Choi launched the SmartCase, an innovative flute case that is light, durable, secure, and fits into normal bags, making every flutist’s wish come true. In August 2021, she published flute method books for beginners (Seoul Music Publishing), which made it to the bestseller chart in no time. She also writes articles for Flute Talk Magazine in the U.S. and the Auditorium Magazine in Korea.
Between concerts, Ms. Choi enjoys teaching and guiding young students in master classes. She has previously taught master classes at Juilliard, the Curtis Institute of Music, Indiana University, Colburn School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Florida University, Harvard University, and Universität für Musik in Vienna, among others.
Growing up as a third generation of a classical music family in Korea, she started learning piano and violin from a very early age. A year after picking up the flute as a nine-year-old, she performed the Haydn Concerto in D Major with a local orchestra. She became the last pupil of the legendary Julius Baker when she was accepted at the Curtis Institute of Music at sixteen years old. Ms. Choi continued her studies at Juilliard with Jeffrey Khaner, and later had private studies with Thomas Robertello and Robert Stallman.
Ms. Choi’s performance was featured during the 2018 Winter Olympics celebrations in PyeongChang, Korea, and she is the official Cultural Ambassador of her hometown of Daejeon, Korea. Ms. Choi speaks English, German, and Korean, and resides in Austria between concert tours. She has a strong presence on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, and enjoys communicating regularly with her fans.
Pianist Hugh Sung has been an active soloist and chamber musician ever since his debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 11. Two years later, he was accepted for studies at the Curtis Institute of Music, where his principal teachers included Eleanor Sokoloff, Jorge Bolet, and Seymour Lipkin, along with Karen Tuttle and Felix Galimir for chamber music.
Throughout his studies and subsequent to graduating with a Bachelor of Music, Sung has performed in major cities throughout the Americas, England, Canada, South Africa, Japan, and Korea. Mr. Sung has been presented at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Wigmore Hall, The National Gallery of Art, and The Ravinia Festival. He has made several guest appearances at radio stations throughout New York City, Rochester, Philadelphia, and New Zealand, and was featured on NPR’s nationally syndicated “Performance Today” performing works by Clementi, Ravel, and Mussorgksy. His concerto engagements have included performances with the Concerto Soloists Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, annual appearances with the Masterworks Festival Orchestras since 1998, and extensive tours with the South Jersey Symphony Orchestra.
Most recently, he was presented on Japanese National Television NHK in collaboration with violinist Aaron Rosand during a recital in the esteemed Ouji Hall in the Ginza district of Tokyo.
In addition to his solo endeavors, Sung has continued to receive critical acclaim for his work as an ensemble musician. He has been featured in the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Chamber Music series, and has also collaborated with such distinguished groups and artists as The American Quartet, the Diaz Trio, Jeffrey Khaner, Julius Baker, Gary Schocker, Hilary Hahn, Leila Josefowicz, composers Jennifer Higdon, Robert Maggio, Harold Boatrite, and violinist Aaron Rosand, with whom he has recorded extensively under the Biddulph and Vox labels. His work can also be heard under the I Virtuosi, CRI, and Avie labels.
In 1993, Sung joined the staff of the Curtis Institute of Music and served as Director of Instrumental Accompaniment and its world-renown Student Recitals Series until his 2009 appointment as faculty Collaborative Pianist.
Sung was one of the founders of AirTurn, Inc. (www.AirTurn.com), a company that develops innovative technologies for musicians. He also maintains an active website (www.HughSung.com) and served as the VP of Communications at AirTurn, both of which combine his love of music and passion for technology, and serves as rich resources for musicians looking for a friendly place to learn more about adopting technology to enhance their art and lifestyle. He is an early adopter of technologies like the Tablet PC, which has enabled him to completely convert his paper music library into a digital format, and innovative new performance presentations like the Visual Recital (www.VisualRecital.com), which combines images, animation, and video clips in a live recital setting fully synchronized and controlled by the musician. Sample music and video clips can be found both on his website and on his YouTube channel (http://YouTube.com/hughsung).
In 2014, Sung joined the roster of ArtistWorks, an online music and art school that combines a video curriculum with a cutting-edge Video Exchange system, enabling him to personally teach students anywhere around the world at any time. For more information about Hugh’s online piano school, visit http://hughsungpiano.com
Sung is the executive producer and host of A Musical Life, a weekly podcast that shares stories about making music and the things that move our souls.
Currently, Sung serves as the Director of Institutional Solutions for Cunningham Piano, Philadelphia’s oldest and most respected piano store, representing Yamaha and Bösendorfer pianos.
