Jihwan Yoon is a composer, pianist, and educator from South Korea whose work explores human thought, emotion, and perception, as well as their transformation through time. By questioning musical, philosophical, and social phenomena, he reinterprets abstract concepts through sound, inviting listeners to engage with new perspectives. His music serves as a medium for dialogue, fostering connections between ideas, audiences, and the community.
Jihwan’s works have been recognized by different organizations around the world. His orchestra work In the Mirror… was recently awarded the Martinů Composition Prize from the Mannes School of Music in 2024, which was followed by the performance of the Mannes Orchestra’s 2024-2025 season opening concert under the direction of Maestro David Hayes. As a composer with a strong connection to the piano, his piano works won the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award (2019) and the Grand Award at the Pacific Rim Music Composition Competition (2024). His chamber works have been internationally recognized as well, earning the Special Prize in the Junior Category at the International Antonín Dvořák Composition Competition (2017) and the First Prize at the Golden Key Music Festival in Composition (2015). His works have been performed by notable ensembles and orchestras such as JACK Quartet, Mivos Quartet, and Brasilia National Orchestra. Upcoming projects are involved with the National Orchestral Institute + Festival (NOI+F) and the Fontainebleau Schools (FR) in summer 2025. He will be working on his new Sinfonietta piece and chamber pieces at those festivals.
Alongside his work as a composer, Jihwan is an active pianist who performs a wide range of repertoire, from contemporary works to classical masterpieces. In 2024, he was a guest Pianist-Composer who was featured in a solo piano recital titled Peabody Korean Composers’ Night, curated by composer Young-Jun Lee. The concert program featured his own compositions alongside works by Korean composers from the Peabody Conservatory. He was frequently invited to perform in the Mannes Sounds Festival, presenting his chamber works, solo piano pieces, and classical repertoire during his studies at Mannes. He was recognized for his contribution to piano performance with the Steinway Award (2020) upon his graduation from Mannes. Through these performances, he continues to bridge the past and present, fostering a deeper appreciation for both historical and contemporary music.
His excellence in music theory was recognized with the Felix Salzer Techniques of Music Award (2024) from Mannes. Currently, he serves as an Adjunct Faculty member in the Music Theory department at Hofstra University. In addition to teaching, he is an active collaborator, working as a Collaborative Pianist at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege. His musical career also includes service in the Republic of Korea’s Navy Symphonic Band (2021–23), where he was proudly discharged after contributing as a pianist and band music arranger.
Jihwan will start pursuing his Doctor of Music degree at Indiana University in Fall 2025, where he is appointed as an Associate Instructor in Composition. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees with honors from the Mannes School of Music, double majoring in Composition and Piano. His mentors include Lewis Nielson, Lowell Liebermann, Robert Cuckson, Pavlina Dokovska, Vladimir Valjarevic, and Lynne Rogers.