A Korean-born pianist recognized for her “cantabile lyricism” and “delicate yet confident” interpretations (Interlude.hk), Hyeji Seo has established an international career as both a soloist and collaborative artist. Praised for a musicality that “transcends time and space” (iReview.kr), Dr. Seo captivates audiences across the United States, Europe, and Asia with her sincere and passionate artistry.
Since her 2016 New York debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Dr. Seo has performed in premier global venues, including the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Miller Theatre, and the William Stewart Memorial Shell. Her competitive record is anchored by winning at the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition in Brussels, and the International Piano Association Competition, with further distinctions from the Ise-Shima International Piano Competition in Japan and the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition among others.
Dr. Seo’s debut album, Melodies from East Asia (Navona Records, 2025), features a world-premiere commission by the Korean Society of Women Composers and has received extensive airplay on public radio stations across Virginia, Massachusetts, Florida, and Kansas City. This project underscores her core mission: amplifying the voices of underrepresented composers—a commitment further embodied in her concert series, The Music We Write, which she founded in 2023 to promote diverse perspectives within classical music.
An influential pedagogue and sought-after clinician, Dr. Seo frequently appears at major international institutions and conferences giving performance and teaching. She will join the faculty of the InterHarmony International Music Festival. Recent invitations include the Wuhan Conservatory of Music, Gangneung-Wonju National University, and the Rawlins Keyboard Series at the University of South Dakota among others. Her research and performances have been featured at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy (NCKP), the College Music Society (National and Regional), the Music by Women International Festival, and the Women Composers Festival of Hartford. During her graduate studies, she coached in piano and collaborative piano setting at Michigan State University and Western Illinois University as a graduate assistant. She is a frequent adjudicator to competitons and auditions at local, state, and international level. Earlier in her career, she also taught piano in community programs including Expressions Music Academy in Novi, Michigan, and St. Pius X Catholic Church and School in Flint.
Deeply committed to inclusive music education, Dr. Seo has served on the faculty at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and has worked extensively with young musicians through programs such as Celebrating the Spectrum Festival, which supports students on the autism spectrum. As a dedicated advocate for underserved communities, she is a registered teacher with the MusicLink Foundation and currently serves as Vice President and Pedagogy Program Event Chair for the Fort Collins MTA.
As an accomplished collaborative pianist, Dr. Seo regularly partners with distinguished artists across a wide range of instrumental, vocal, and operatic repertoire. She has served as a pianist and coach for the Encore Chamber Music Series in Italy and has appeared at major conferences including the International Horn Symposium and the International Double Reed Society. She is slated to perform at the 2026 National Flute Association Convention. She has also performed at prominent festivals and events such as the Colorado Flute Fair and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Her collaborative work encompasses instrumental, vocal, choral, chamber, orchestral, and operatic repertoire.
Dr. Seo earned her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master’s in Collaborative Piano from Michigan State University, following degrees from Sookmyung Women’s University and Western Illinois University. Supported by the prestigious Ralph Votapek Scholarship and the Dixon Collaborative Pianist Award, her artistry has been shaped by mentors Kyungmi Kim, Hyesoo Jeon, Tammie Walker, Zhihua Tang, and Deborah Moriarty. She has further refined her craft through work with renowned artists including Hae Sun Paik, Alan Chow, Zhe Tang, Robert Roux, Michael Lewin, Klaus Schilde, Sontraud Speidel, Aviram Reichert, Alain Jacquon, and Laurent Cabasso.
Dr. Seo currently serves as Assistant Professor of Practice in Collaborative Piano at Colorado State University, where she teaches chamber music, class piano for music educator, and continues to shape the music through performance, teaching, and meaningful advocacy.
Hyeji Seo - Pianist 