Yooyoun Cho

Yooyoun Cho (pronounced "yoo-yoon") is a NYC-based jazz guitarist, composer and educator.

Born and raised in Wonju, South Korea, he started playing percussion and clarinet at the age of eight. He started to play guitar in his teens and chose it as his main instrument. When he moved to Seoul to attend university, he discovered the robust jazz scene in Seoul and decided to pursue a career as a jazz musician.

During his time in Seoul, he was mentored by jazz guitarist Junbeom Kim. In 2018, he founded SoWhat NOLA Band which has become one of the most recognized traditional-style jazz groups in Korea, and produced their first album in 2021. His next step was to move to NYC, where he studied and played with jazz masters such as Jon Faddis, John Mosca, Ralph Lalama, Andy Farber, Ugonna Okegwo and was mentored by guitarist Pasquale Grasso.

He led jazz performances of diverse sizes in South Korea and New York, from duos to big bands, delivering live music in coffee shops, bars, and renowned clubs like Dizzy's. He also played at multiple local and international festivals including Jarasum International Jazz Festival. He has performed alongside artists including Jon Faddis, John Mosca, Pasquale Grasso, Ari Roland, Junbeom Kim, Tuna Kim, Jinjoo Yoo, Kihong Jang, Christopher Potter, Brendan Mark, Aron Caceres, Maxwell Filipiak, Lucio Tomasi, Darrell Smith, Anaïs Reno and Sungha Jung.

His next release, , is out on November 11, 2023, and he could be found in various live jazz venues in NYC area.