Seonju Jo

Seonju Jo is a South Korean pianist, accompanist, educator, and researcher based in Austin, Texas. She currently serves as a teaching assistant in piano at The University of Texas at Austin, a staff pianist at the University of Mary Hardin–Baylor, and a faculty member at Clavier-Werke School of Music. She is pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance at UT Austin.

Praised for her expressive artistry and musical depth, Jo has performed at renowned venues including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and the International Keyboard Odyssiad Festival. She is a prizewinner in several international and institutional competitions, and was a finalist in the UT Austin Mozart Concerto Competition. She also received First Prize in the Sidney Wright Accompanying Competition at UT Austin. She gave solo and collaborative performances at Cambodia as part of a mission concert tour.

As both a soloist and collaborator, she brings versatility and sensitivity to a wide range of performance settings. She is committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians with passion and care, emphasizing strong technique, expressive freedom, and student-centered learning. She contributes to the broader music community through adjudication, mentoring, and leadership.

Jo has actively contributed to advancing piano performance and pedagogy through her research and presentations. She presented “Raising Professional Pianists through Piano Repertoire from Young Beginner to Intermediate Stages” at the MTNA National Conference. Her project, “The Art of Pedaling: Enhancing Musical Expression through a Practical Guide for Performance Excellence,” was presented at the TMTA Conference, MTNA Collegiate Symposium, and NCKP Conference.

Her research focuses on the intersection of performance and pedagogy, exploring silence and space in contemporary piano music, expressive techniques, and historical approaches to piano education.