Mina Cho

Mina Cho is a multifaceted scholar, jazz pianist, and composer based in Boston, with a specialization in Korean music and history. She holds a faculty position at Emerson College's Performing Arts Department, where she imparts knowledge in global music courses, encompassing both traditional and contemporary Korean music. Mina earned her initial doctoral degree in jazz composition and a minor in musicology from the New England Conservatory. Presently, she is in the final stages of completing her PhD in musicology dissertation, which focuses on the work of master Pansori singer Dongjin Park at Brandeis University. For her research and dissertation achievements, Mina has garnered multiple awards. Her academic pursuits revolve around the intriguing intersection of Korean spirituality and music history, inspiring her to transcend cultural boundaries through her research and musical explorations, all while reconnecting with her Korean heritage.

Mina's proficiency in classical music and jazz is complemented by her dedication to mastering the theory and practice of traditional Korean music, including Pansori, Janggu, Gayageum, Ajaeng, and Haegeum. This has enhanced her research and enriched her musical endeavors in the realm of Korean traditional music. Mina's musical works showcase the fusion of Korean traditional music with contemporary styles. As the director of Korean cultural ensembles and organizations such as the Gugak Jazz Society, Boston Academy of Korean Traditional Arts (BAKTA), and International Gugak Jazz Institute (IGJI), she has collaborated with various community organizations including the Korean Cultural Society of Boston, General Consulate of Korea in Boston, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Somerville Museum, Korean-American Citizens League of New England, and many more for music and arts-related projects. Particularly noteworthy is her role as director of BAKTA, where she is actively working to promote traditional Korean music education in Boston.

Mina's passion for music stems from its ever-evolving creativity, which has inspired her and her band members in the Gugak Jazz Society to explore new ways of freely combining and improvising Korean traditional music and jazz. Following the successful premiere of her Pansori Cantata, Gilryungjeon, with the Gugak Jazz Society and NEC Jazz Composers' Workshop Orchestra in 2019 (Boston, MA), Mina went on to produce the GreeKorea album in 2021 (released in the US and Korea). In 2022, the Gugak Jazz Society premiered her new musical narrative in the style of modern pansori, Samulnori Fantasy: Seasons, at the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall. Recently, Mina has released two albums, including Samulnori Fantasy: Seasons by the Gugak Jazz Society and her "Grace Beat" Project, Beat Mirage (환상비트) by the Grace Beat Quartet. The Seasons CD release concert was held at the Berklee College of Music (BPC) on September 29, 2023, in celebration of Korean Thanksgiving. It is noteworthy that this was the first-ever solo Korean traditional music performance presented at the BPC. Last July, Mina and the Gugak Jazz Society members were invited to perform at the 2023 Korea Traditional Performing Arts Festival at the National Gugak Center in Seoul, where they presented selections from the Seasons album and were wholeheartedly received by the Korean audiences. 

She majored in theology at Yonsei University and graduated with top honors (Summa Cum Laude) in film scoring and jazz composition from the Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, she was recognized for her piano performance and composition skills in various departments, including Piano, Jazz Composition, Contemporary Writing and Production, and Film Scoring. She furthered her studies and completed a master's degree in jazz composition at the New England Conservatory before obtaining a doctorate in jazz composition with a minor in musicology, graduating with the highest honors (Pi Kappa Lambda for MM) and a perfect GPA of 4.0 for DMA.

Mina also released her personal albums, such as Originality in 2010 and Love Transformation in 2016. As a pianist and composer for the Jazz Composers Alliance Orchestra, she has also worked on numerous album projects. She has collaborated with various jazz, classical, gospel, and traditional music artists from around the world, including those from Korea, the United States, Greece, Turkey, South Africa, Spain, Venezuela, Columbia, Jamaica, and Sweden among many more.

As the music director of the Somerville Community Baptist Church, Mina has presented creative and multicultural sacred music that incorporates jazz, Korean traditional, and gospel music, which has earned her recognition for her artistic contribution. She was named "Artist of the Month" by the Somerville Arts Council in 2020 and received the "Community Service Award" from the Somerville Museum.