About

About

Sooji Seol is a London-based composer and pianist originally from South Korea. She is currently pursuing a Master of Composition at the Royal College of Music, where she studies composition with Professor Deirdre Gribbin and piano with Professor Kathron Sturrock. Sooji is a scholarship recipient of the Royal College of Music, awarded in recognition of her artistic potential and academic excellence. In addition, she was selected as a Korean Government Scholar for Overseas Study, and is currently studying in the UK with the support of the National Institute for International Education.

Her music draws from both Western classical and Korean traditions, often weaving dramatic structures, poetic imagery, and subtle electroacoustic elements into her compositions.

Sooji began her musical training in South Korea, where she studied piano under Professor Dong-Jin Kim. Alongside her compositional development, she has actively pursued performance, receiving accolades in several international piano competitions — including first prize at the Golden Classical Music Awards in 2021. That same year, she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York as part of the winners’ concert.

She previously studied composition at Seoul National University, where she completed coursework towards a Master of Music degree, and holds a summa cum laude Bachelor’s degree in composition from Hanyang University. In 2017, she took part in a composition masterclass led by Unsuk Chin, hosted by the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra — an experience that deeply influenced her musical direction.

Sooji’s chamber works, such as Porpoise (2023) and Beloved (2021–23), have been performed by ensembles including the Sul e Lim Trio and Sejong Soloists. Her orchestral piece The Storm was performed in 2020 by the Millennium Symphony Orchestra, which subsequently commissioned her 2024 work Song of Songs.

In addition to her artistic work, Sooji has served as a teaching assistant at Seoul National University and worked in music curation and accompaniment. With the support of both British and Korean institutions, she is building a dynamic international career that bridges composition and performance.