Heejung Ju
Collaborative Piano
e-mail: heejung.ju@csulb.edu
Pianist Heejung Ju is a distinguished chamber musician and collaborative pianist with a dynamic international career. Trained in Korea at Yewon, Seoul Arts High School, and Ewha Women’s University, she developed a strong foundation as a solo pianist. Her achievements include winning various piano competitions, performing with numerous orchestras, and engaging in extensive collaborations with faculty members from Ewha Women’s University.
Upon moving to the United States, Dr. Ju continued to build on her extensive experience from Korea, actively contributing to a vibrant and diverse musical landscape. She was a fellow at the Music Academy of the West in 2016 and 2019. In 2019, she won first place in both the string and piano and brass and piano categories of The First Duo Competition, which was open to instrumental and collaborative piano fellows from the Music Academy.
Dr. Ju’s expertise extends to working with renowned artists such as Glenn Dicterow, Cynthia Phelps, and Emmanuel Pahud. She has also served as a studio pianist alongside leading musicians including Yehuda Gilad and Ralph Kirshbaum at the Colburn School and USC. Her career is marked by collaborations with various instrumentalists, orchestras and choirs.
Furthering her studies in Keyboard Collaborative Arts at the Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California, under Dr. Alan Smith, she earned both M.M. and D.M.A. degrees. During her studies, she was recognized as an Outstanding Graduate and received the Keyboard Collaborative Arts Ensemble Award, the Keyboard Collaborative Arts Department Award, and the Gwendolyn Koldofsky Scholarship.
In Fall 2022, she joined Biola University as an adjunct faculty member, and in Spring 2024, she began her role as a faculty member at California State University, Long Beach, where she continues her work as a collaborative pianist. Additionally, she serves as a collaborative pianist at the Colburn School, enriching the musical community with her extensive experience and skill.
