Woosung Cho
B i o g r a p h y
Woosung Cho was born in 1979 in Seoul, Korea.
He studied composition with in Germany with Prof. Dr. Manfred Stahnke at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg, completing his Master of Music in 2011.
He then moved to the Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover, completing his Soloklasse Studies with Prof. Oliver Schneller, Prof. Rebecca Saunders, Joachim Heintz and Gordon Williamson.
In 2014/15 he has been awarded the "Jahresstipendium" from the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony.
Over the years he has taken part in many composition masterclasses with George Aperghis, Kaija Saariaho, Mark Andre, Misato Mochizuki, Günter Steinke, Tom Johnson and Younghi Pagh-Paan.
From 2006 to 2012 he took part in Unsuk Chin's 'Ars Nova' Project with the Seoul Philharmonic and 47th. Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik Darmstadt.
Cho has been awarded many prizes and grants for his work, including
1st Prize at the Nanpa National Composition Competition,
1st Prize at the Youngnam Composition Competition,
2nd Prize at the Concorso Internazionale di Compositione
"Citta di Montalto Ligure", as well as selections for New Music Miami ISCM, Seoul Contemporary Music Festival, Hildesheim Composition Competition and the Daegu International Contemporary Music Festival.
Upon graduation, he was selected as the 2014/15 sponsored composer by the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture (Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur), receiving the highest grant amount and support for concerts and projects. In 2015, his project was selected by the Hannover Society for New Music (HGNM), and Berlin Ensemble Zafarran performed his solo recital.
His works have been premiered at venues including the Hannover State Opera House, Marigny Opera House (USA), Wertheim Performing Arts Center Concert Hall (USA), Paris Conservatory Hall (CRR), Theater Hameln (Germany), Frankfurt Opera House (Holzfoyer in der Oper Frankfurt), Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, and Lotte Concert Hall.
His music has been performed by renowned contemporary music ensembles such as German Ensemble Mosaik, Berlin Ensemble Zafarran, Hong Kong New Music Ensemble, Danish Esbjerg Ensemble, American Versipel New Music Ensemble, Austrian Schallfeld Ensemble, Japanese Hemmi String Quartet, Hannover Musica Assoluta, Pro Artibus Hannover, as well as the KBS Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra, Changwon Philharmonic Orchestra, and Daegu MBC Symphony Orchestra.
After returning to Korea, his works have been featured on Swiss National Radio (SRF), at the German Isang Yun Music Festival, Seoul National University's 2019 Music Aesthetics Research Forum, 2020 Seoul National University College of Music Project Orient Express, and Busan Spectra On Seminar. He received the 2023 Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee Chairman's Commendation, the 2018 Daegu Composers Association Composer of the Year Award, and was selected for the 2021 Seoul Cultural Foundation Project and 2024 Seoul Cultural Foundation Support Project.
Currently, he serves as the resident composer of the Heyri Chamber Orchestra, music director of DCMF Ensemble, and operating committee member of the Daegu International Contemporary Music Festival.
He actively collaborates with various contemporary music ensembles and composers both domestically and internationally while dedicating himself to educating future generations at Pusan National University and Jeju National University.
