Jung Choi, Oboe
Oboist Jung Choi, a native of South Korea, has quickly established a career of both performing and teaching. She was honorably mentioned twice as the finalist for the Gillet-Fox international oboe competition and started teaching and giving master classes at a collegiate level.
Having made her concerto debut in the age of 16, Choi has since appeared soloist with Seoul Yego Orchestra, SNU wind ensemble, Bucheon Youth Philharmonic, Seoul Youth Philharmonic, Seoul Chamber Orchestra and Eastman Philharmonia. She has also appeared internationally as a chamber and orchestral musician in Germany, France, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
While she was working on her master's degree at the Eastman School of Music, Choi was appointed as the oboe/English horn player at the Binghamton Philharmonic. She taught at the Nazareth College and Roberts Wesleyen College in Rochester, NY as well. Upon graduation from Eastman, she was appointed as the associate principal for the Korean Symphony Orchestra and gave up to 90 concerts annually. Choi also taught oboe at the prestigious Seoul National University, her alma mater.
As an avid chamber musician, she serves as a member of three woodwind quintets; Sunyul (base in South Korea), MSU faculty quintet and Springfield woodwind quintet. In the summer of 2020, she founded a double reed ensemble “Duel Duo” which is committed to promoting double reed music written by composers from underrepresented groups.
She was invited as the principal oboist to Daegwanryoung Music festival, Incheon and Arts festival and Malaysia Festival Orchestra.
She regularly appears as a lecture recitalist in national and international conferences including College Music Society conference.
Apart from classical music, Choi’s interest lies on other genres of music as well. She has recorded music for movies, musicals, and K-pop songs. She also performed the oboe on a Korean national television show collaborating with a poet.
Choi’s principal teachers include Richard Killmer, Yun Jung Lee, Myung Jin Lee, Soo Keum Kim and Jong Duk Kim. She currently serves as an assistant professor at Missouri State University and principal oboe of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. In fall 2021, she will start her new position as the assistant professor of oboe at the University of North Texas.
오보이스트 최정은 2019년 대한민국 오보에 연주자로서는 처음으로 미국 대학교 전임교수로 임용되었다 .
예원학교, 서울예고, 서울대학교를 거쳐 Eastman School of Music에서 수학한 그녀는 일찍이 연주와 학문 모두에서 두각을 나타내었다. 16 세에 서울 챔버 오케스트라와 데뷔한 이래Gillet-Fox International Oboe Competition에서 2회연속 특별상을 수상하였으며 서울 예고 오케스트라, 서울대 윈드 앙상블, 부천시 청소년 교향악단, 서울시 청소년 교향악단, Eastman Philharmonia와 협연하였다. 그녀는 또한 독일, 프랑스, 태국, 말레이시아, 싱가포르 및 일본에서 실내악 및 오케스트라 연주자로써 활약하였다. Eastman School of Music재학 당시 바로크 오보에를 부전공하였고 석사 학위를 시작함과 동시에 Binghamton Philharmonic에서 오보에 / 영어 혼 연주자로, Nazareth College와 Roberts Wesleyen College에 오보에 강사로 활동 하였으며 귀국 후엔 코리안 심포니 오케스트라 부수석주자, 서울 대학교 오보에 강사, 앙상블 The winds 오보에주자를 역임하였다.
현재 미주리 주립 대학의 조교수이자 스프링 필드 심포니 오케스트라 수석 오보에 연주자로 활발히 활동하고 있으며 2021 년 가을 University of North Texas 새로운 오보에 교수로 임용될 예정이다.
韩国双簧管演奏家崔正慧（Jung Choi）的职业音乐生涯在教学和演奏等方面各有建树。她曾两次参选为吉列·福克斯国际双簧管比赛的决赛选手，并长期在大学教授双簧管大师班课程。
崔正慧16岁时起便开始首次同交响乐团合作演奏协奏曲，她先后曾在首尔耶戈乐团、首尔大学管乐团、富川青年爱乐乐团、首尔青年爱乐乐团、首尔室内乐团和伊士曼爱乐乐团等世界著名演出团体担任双簧管演奏家一职。她还在德国、法国、泰国、马来西亚、新加坡和日本以室内乐和管弦乐演奏家身份在国际舞台上登台演出。
在伊士曼音乐学院攻读硕士学位期间，崔正慧担任宾汉姆顿爱乐乐团的双簧管及英国圆号演奏员。她还在纽约罗彻斯特拿撒勒学院和罗伯茨卫斯理学院任教。从伊士曼大学毕业后，她被任命为韩国交响乐团的副总监，每年举办多达90场音乐会。崔正慧还在其母校，著名的首尔国立大学担任双簧管教授。
作为热衷于室内乐的演奏家，崔正慧是三个木管五重奏的乐队成员，分别是：善律木管五重奏、密歇根大学教师五重奏和春田木管五重奏。2020年夏天，她成立了决斗二人组双簧管乐团，致力于演奏弱势群体作曲家所创作的双簧管音乐。她曾受邀担任大宛杨音乐节、仁川艺术节、马来西亚节日乐团的双簧管首席演奏家。除了古典音乐以外，崔正慧还热衷于演奏其他音乐风格，她曾为电影、音乐剧和韩国流行歌曲录制配乐。她还在韩国国家电视节目中与诗人合作演奏双簧管。崔正慧目前是密苏里州立大学的助理教授和斯普林菲尔德交响乐团的首席双簧管。2021年秋天，她将担任北德克萨斯大学双簧管助理教授。