MiSun Moon

Pianist Miseon Moon is acclaimed for her performances distinguished by profound musical interpretation and refined emotional sensitivity. She began studying the piano at the age of four and made her orchestral debut at seventeen, performing with the New Jersey State Orchestra at Merkin Hall in New York.

After graduating with honors from Incheon Arts High School in 2004, she continued her studies in the United Kingdom at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree under the guidance of Professor Diana Ketler. During her undergraduate studies, she was awarded First Prize at the Worshipful Company of the Musicians’ Harold Samuel Bach Prize. She was also invited to perform at the London Paganini Festival, giving a recital at Duke’s Hall to critical acclaim, marking a successful debut on the London concert stage. In addition, she appeared in numerous solo and chamber music concerts at venues including David Josefowitz Recital Hall, Museum Piano Gallery, and St. Sepulchre’s Church, further establishing her presence as a performing artist.

In 2007, she was selected as an exchange student to the New England Conservatory in Boston, where she studied with Professor Veronica Jochum. During her time at NEC, she participated in the Messiaen Centennial Concert Series and performed at Jordan Hall.

Upon graduating with distinction from the Royal Academy of Music in 2009, Ms. Moon moved to the United States to pursue her Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at Indiana University South Bend, where she studied with the renowned pianist Alexander Toradze on a merit-based scholarship. As a member of the Toradze Piano Studio, she was actively engaged in numerous performances.

At her master’s degree graduation recital in 2011, she received the Performer Certificate by unanimous decision of the faculty jury. In the same year, she won First Prize at the IUSB Concerto Competition and the Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Collegiate Piano Competition, which led to scholarship awards and an invited recital in Indianapolis. She subsequently entered the Artist Diploma program at Indiana University South Bend on a full scholarship and performed as a soloist with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra and the IUSB Philharmonic Orchestra on two occasions. Her performances were frequently featured in local newspapers. In 2012, she was awarded Second Prize at the 5th Andrews University International Piano Competition.

Ms. Moon was invited as a full scholarship recipient to the Chautauqua Music Festival, where she was active as both a soloist and chamber musician. She was selected as a finalist in the Chautauqua Piano Competition and was invited to present a solo recital at the Jamestown Mozart Club in New York, receiving critical praise and media recognition.

She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Michigan State University on a full scholarship, serving as a Graduate Assistant in the Piano Department. Under the mentorship of Professor Minsoo Sohn, she completed her doctoral dissertation titled “Analysis of Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons, Op. 37b with Emphasis on Techniques Used to Portray Russian Ethnicity.”

During her doctoral studies, she served as pianist for the MSU Wind Symphony Orchestra and premiered numerous contemporary works at the Wharton Center for Performing Arts. As a member of the Musique 21 contemporary ensemble, she performed Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire and a wide range of modern chamber works, solidifying her foundation as a contemporary music performer. She won First Prize in the Piano Division of the American Protégé International Competition and was invited to perform in the Beethoven Piano Sonata Marathon at Detroit Symphony Hall, hosted by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

Her principal teachers include Minsoo Sohn, Alexander Toradze, Diana Ketler, and Veronica Jochum. She has also participated in masterclasses with distinguished artists such as Leslie Howard, Emanuel Krasovsky, Boris Berman, Christopher Elton, Monique Duphil, Rebecca Penneys, Alexander Gavrilyuk, and Hwa Kyung Byun.

Since returning to Korea, Ms. Moon has maintained an active performing career, presenting solo and chamber music concerts at major venues including the Seoul Arts Center (IBK Hall and Recital Hall), Sejong Chamber Hall, Kumho Art Hall, Kumho Art Hall Yonsei, Tongyeong Concert Hall, and Bupyeong Art Center. She is also frequently invited as a collaborative pianist, including performances with violist Sungja Park of Seokyeong University.

In addition to her performance career, she is actively involved in academic and educational activities as a research committee member of the Educational Division of the Korean Piano Society and the Cultural Affairs Division of the Korean Association of Piano Pedagogy. She continues to expand her artistic scope through teaching material development, writing, and composition.

Ms. Moon has previously served as an adjunct professor at Seoul Cyber University and has taught at the Incheon Gifted Education Center, Gyewon Arts High School, and Anyang Arts High School. She currently teaches at the Korea National University of Arts (including its Graduate School), Seoul National University of Education, the SNUE Music Gifted Education Center, and Sunhwa Arts Middle School, dedicating herself to the education of the next generation of musicians.