Biography
Mina Choi is a pianist, composer, and arranger from Seoul, South Korea. Mina has received a Master Degree of Music from California State University, Fullerton, where she studied piano and arranging with Grammy award winning jazz composer and pianist, Bill Cunliffe. Since her journey here she has also had the opportunities to write and arrange many pieces for jazz combos and jazz orchestras. Her big band arrangements of tunes by the legendary pianist George Cables were featured recently at a performance by the Harvard Jazz Band at Harvard University. Her arrangement of “Bolivia” was chosen by the ASMAC judging committee in the 2015 ASMAC Pete Rugolo Big Band Arranging & Composing Competition. Also, her original of “Paddle through the Lake” was awarded in the 2017 Bill Conti Big Band Arranging and Composing Competition.
She won the 38th Downbeat Outstanding Performance Award with her own original composition, “Sing ChaCha” and arrangement, “Falling away with you” of Muse. In 2016, she was selected Outstanding College Performer of the year, at the Reno Jazz Festival. Internationally, the Mina Choi Trio was a finalist at the 10th Bucharest International Jazz Competition. Her message to the world, that she wishes to share through music, is one of hope and love.