Yu-Jung Jeon (YJ) is a composer and pianist whose work bridges the sensory worlds of music, language, and perception. Based in Boston, she creates genre defying compositions that blend acoustic textures, improvisation, and visual elements, offering listeners a rich multisensory experience. Her projects explore the translation of linguistic rhythms into musical forms, the sonic capture of environmental patterns like water and waves, and the interplay between visual dynamics such as color and musical expression.​

Born in Pennsylvania and raised in Busan, South Korea, YJ draws on her Korean heritage to weave historical and cultural narratives into her music. Recent works such as Pado, A Journey Through Waves incorporate Korean onomatopoeia and poetry to echo the rhythmic energy of the sea, while Is She Home? reflects resilience and hope inspired by post-war Korean youth. Her dedication to cultural storytelling is matched by her commitment to cross-disciplinary exploration and innovative forms of musical expression.​

YJ began her musical training at the Mannes School of Music, studying piano under the mentorship of Nina Svetlanova. As a pianist, she received numerous awards, performed as a soloist with the Clemson University Symphony Orchestra, and appeared at festivals including the Cooper International Piano Festival, the Southeastern Piano Festival (SEPF), and the Texas State International Piano Festival (TSIPF). She was also featured on an ETV radio program, performing a Haydn piano sonata at the Sigal Music Museum.

She later attended Berklee College of Music, where she discovered her passion for composition, inspired by mentors including Yoon-Ji Lee, Beth Denisch, Marti Epstein, and Richard Carrick. Immersing herself in genres ranging from jazz to electronic music, she broadened her creative horizons. YJ earned her Master’s degree in Music Composition and Theory at New York University, studying with mentors Julia Wolfe, Robert Honstein, Jerica Oblak, and Justin Dello Joio, while also teaching music composition courses for non-majors.

Her works and collaborative projects have been performed in New York City, Brooklyn, Boston, and South Korea by ensembles such as PUBLIQuartet, Sound Icon, SPLICE Ensemble, Rhythm Method, Viridian Quartet, NYUO, NYUCME, the NYU Piano Department, HyperCube, and kon.trip, an experimental composer-performer ensemble.

As an educator, YJ has taught music at NYU, the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston, and is currently a faculty member at the Community Music Center of Boston (CMCB). Her honors include the NYU Billy Joel Scholarship and a nomination for Berklee’s Earle Brown Award.

Through her research-driven creative practice, she is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of sound, infusing natural cycles, linguistic textures, and cultural narratives into compositions that invite audiences to experience music beyond traditional listening.

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