Chang, Choong-Jin (1968-Present)

He is a viola player, often known as C.J., born in Seoul, Korea, who started out learning the violin when he was young. He won the Yook Young National Competition and debuted as a violinist with the Seoul Philharmonic when he was 12 years old.

When he was 13 years old he relocated to the United States and studied at the Juilliard School and later at the Curtis Institute of Music, earning his viola and violin degrees, and Temple University’s Esther Boyer College of Music in Philadelphia.

In 1994 he became a member of The Philadelphia Orchestra and rose to Principal Viola in 2006.

Working as a soloist he appeared in his debut recital in 2007 at Carnegie Hall, was a featured soloist in 2008 in Seoul and Shanghai while on an Asian tour with The Philadelphia Orchestra and then 2009 saw him making his Philadelphia Orchestra subscription debut as a soloist and gave a solo performance again in 2012.

Performing chamber music, he has played at several music festivals in Asia, Europe and the United States. He is also a founding member of the Johannes Quartet formed in 1997.

Recordings he has performed on include Kevin Puts: Seascapes at the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Noel Noel by the Camilli String Quartet, Take Your Time by Day Ta Day, Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 6/Piano Quartet and Peter Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 “Pathetique”/Dumka by The Philadelphia Orchestra and Ned Rorem: Piano for Left Hand and Orchestra by The Symphony Orchestra of the Curtis Institute of Music.

In the field of musical education he has taught many students who have gone on to become members of the Cleveland and Philadelphia orchestras and has been on the faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School and as a Viola Professor at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and at Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University.

Sources:

Chang, Choong-Jin (1968-Present)

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