Hailed by critics for a “stunning and magnificent performance” delivered with a “real sensitivity” that allows “felicities of touch to shine through,” Korean-born pianist Hyeji Seo presents music that are “superbly articulated” with an “impeccable rhythmic bounce”. (Fanfare)
An established soloist and collaborative artist with an international career spanning the United States, Europe, and Asia, she garners acclaim for a “cantabile lyricism” and “delicate yet confident” interpretations. (Interlude.hk) Noted for a musicality that “transcends time and space,” (iReview.kr) her playing commands the listener’s full attention. Acting as a “fine advocate” for the composer’s voice, she realizes “not only the contrasts but a real understanding of multivalent relationships” (Fanfare) within the music, naturally articulating the deepest intentions of each work with striking clarity and a rare sensitivity to space. (Play News Classic Ehwa Media).
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 also join the faculty of the InterHarmony International Music Festival, Italy. Recent invitations include the Wuhan Conservatory of Music, Sichuan Normal University, China, Gangneung-Wonju National University, Korea 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), MTNA (collegiate, state, and local), 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 competitions and auditions at local, state, and international level such as MTNA, The International Keyboard Odyssiad® & Festival, U.S.A. for prelim and semi finals. 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 Music Teachers Association.
As an accomplished collaborative pianist, Dr. Seo partners with distinguished artists such as Radovan Vlatkovic (horn), Noémi Györi (flute), and Marcello Cormio (conductor) as well as principles and members from major orchestras. She has served as a pianist and coach for the Encore Chamber Music Series in Italy and has appeared at major events 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 festivals and events such as the Colorado Flute Fair, NATS, and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Her collaborative work encompasses instrumental, vocal, choral, chamber, orchestral, operatic repertoire and theatre.
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 