Kyung-A Yoo
Hailed for “her expressive and sensitive sound,” Dr. Kyung-A Yoo, Associate Professor of Collaborative Piano joined the faculty of the Townsend School of Music (TSM) in 2021. Currently she teaches collaborative piano, solo piano, chamber music, sight reading skills, and basic musicianship. She is planning to create various courses related to collaborative piano in the future. As a distinguished artist at Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, Dr. Yoo coaches and performs with string players and guest artists.
Before joining TSM, she served as an Artist Collaborator at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music for nine years. Working closely with such renowned musicians and pedagogues as Leone Buyse, Paul Kantor, Richie Hawley, and Stephen King, she played for numerous master classes and recitals every year. Under the mentorship of Dr. Yoo, many students won competitions, orchestra jobs and entered prestigious music schools such as the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, the Colburn School, Peabody School of Music, New England Conservatory, and Eastman School of Music to name a few. Her performances and interviews were featured on The Front Row, hosted by KUHF Houston Public Radio, collaborating with flutists Leone Buyse, Jean Ferrandis, and Sergio Pallottelli. Throughout her career, Dr. Yoo collaborated with many distinguished artists and the list includes Ralph Kirshbaum, Steve Doane, Tim Eddy, Mark Kaplan, Barbara Butler, Jean Ferrandis, and Richie Hawley.
Her professional career started at Manhattan School of Music where she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Collaborative Piano under the tutelage of Dr. Heasook Rhee and worked as a staff pianist and vocal coach. As a collaborative pianist, she frequently performed with new music ensemble the New York Composers Circle, the Joy in Singing Art Song Competition, New Triad for Collaborative Arts, and the Korea Music Foundation, presenting debut recitals and annual concerts at Carnegie and Merkin Halls. Additionally, she was featured in Classical Singer magazine and her performances was broadcast by WQXR radio station in New York City.
Equally at home in both instrumental and vocal repertoire, she appeared in the world premiere performance of American composer Tom Cipullo’s song cycle, A Visit with Emily, and was re-invited to perform it in the following year. In addition, she was one of the five pianists selected to participate in the prestigious vocal festival, Art Song Festival at Baldwin-Wallace College where she worked with the renowned collaborative pianist, Warren Jones. As a strong supporter of new music, she has premiered numerous works for piano and varied chamber music ensembles including Requiem for the Living by Elliot Levine and Óyeme con los ojos by Allison Sniffin. Eugene McBride, a composer in residence with the New York Composers Circle, has written piano solo and chamber music works for Dr. Yoo.
Dr. Yoo’s most memorable experience came when she entered Mannes College of Music where she had the honor of studying with a world-renowned pianist, Leon Pommers, who had performed exclusively with violinist Nathan Milstein. At Mannes College, she received her Master of Music and Professional Studies Certificate in Piano Performance. It was under Mr. Pommers’ guidance that she was first introduced to the collaborative aspects of performance.
Dr. Yoo also served as a staff accompanist at Summit Music Festival and Quartet Program and was invited to the Music Academy of the West at Santa Barbara as a full-scholarship pianist. During two summers there, she worked intensely with Anne Epperson and Jonathan Feldman. After serving as a visiting Assistant Professor of Collaborative Piano at the Jacobs School of Music of Indiana University, Dr. Yoo continued her work as a collaborative pianist at Oberlin Conservatory. She also worked as faculty member of the Heifetz International Music Institute for five years and joined Aspen Music Festival and School in 2014 as a staff pianist.
Doctor of Musical Arts, Professional Studies Certificate in Collaborative Piano - Manhattan School of Music
Master of Music, Professional Studies Certificate in Piano Performance - Mannes College of Music
Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance – Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea