What is your favorite piece of music to play? To listen to? My favorite piece to play and to listen to is Haydn Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major.
What is your philosophy of teaching?
Watching my students improve makes me happy. I want my students to love music first but at the same time I want them to learn how to play the cello well because as you get better, playing becomes more fun and exciting.
How do you motivate your students to practice and excel at their craft?
I try to create as many performance opportunities for them as I can and encourage them to participate in various competitions.
What is one of your fondest memories of a teacher? When I was studying at Yale, I did not go back to Korea during one summer vacation because I wanted to study with my teacher even over the break. And one day, my teacher, Aldo Parisot, invited all the students who stayed at the school over the Summer to his house to give a lesson. But it wasn't the lesson that gave me the fondest memory of him but the delicious dinner and conversations with him about music and life afterward.
What advice do you have for the young aspiring musicians of the next generation? Do your best now so that you won't regret it later.
You’re awarded an unlimited amount of dollars to plan your dream vacation. Where would you go and why? Without any hesitation, I would visit my family in Korea and spend time with them. I could not spend most of my childhood with my family because I came here to the States to study abroad by myself when I was 13 years old. Also, I would probably spend most of the money on getting all those amazingly delicious Korean foods that I’ve been wanting to have.
COVID has changed our lives in the past year. How has it impacted your professional and personal life? During the pandemic, as most of my colleagues experienced, I lost many opportunities to perform and teach. But on a bright side, I have been getting more performance and teaching opportunities lately as the situation is getting better. One thing I did for myself during the pandemic to stay positive and energetic was to learn how to play golf. I still have a long way to go but am starting to see why so many people fall in love with playing golf.
What's your favorite place to eat in Oahu? My favorite places to eat in Oahu are Choi’s garden and Sorabol. Their “Kalbi” is awesome and you should definitely try if you haven’t. I highly recommend it!
What's the one quality you admire most in a musician? Personality. Nowadays, you can easily find so many talented musicians that are technically equipped and ready even in their teenage years. But I think what makes a musician special is when they express their unique personality in interpreting and performing music.