2017 New Project: Choe/Stern duo at Classroom Concerts at Baltimore Public Schools

Rachel can't remember when she met Jeff Stern at Peabody. Were they still students or already faculty members? Both are deep rooted at Peabody, alma mater. Each has spent good many years at Peabody both as students and faculty members. They shared many mutual friends: Rachel played chamber music with many of his friends even before she met Jeff. They played Takemitsu first. Then, he left the town to attend at Yale and moved back to Baltimore. Again, they decided to make music together.

They were asked to play a variety length of recitals in music classes at Baltimore public school. Both have taught at Orchkids of Baltimore Symphony, an amazing outreach music program nurturing urban students, and understand the need of artistic and musical provision to them. Both wanted to bring the real music that would be performed on the stages such as Carnegie Hall or Kennedy Center. Both wanted to bring as diverse instruments as possible so that the young souls could experience the beauty and the harmony that the differences of our instruments can make. 

Choe/Stern duo is giving classroom concerts on Thursday January 26th, 2017 at the Margaret Brent Elementary School (100 E 26th St, Baltimore, MD  21218) and on Thursday February 16th, 2017 and Thursday February 23, 2017 (on her birthday!) at the Highlandtown Elementary School #215 (3223 E Pratt St, Baltimore, MD  21224, United States). 

WCO plays Cycle 2.

WCO's second concert cycle will open with Debussy Petite Suite as a showcase of the orchestra, and continue to an unique appearance of a composition by contemporary composer K. Maloy. Jenna Daum will perform Fantasy for Ocarina and orchestra. The highlight of the concert will be Schumann Piano Concerto in A minor with pianist Wonmi Kim, prize winner at international piano competitions including prestigious Busoni competition and Liszt piano competition. The concerts will be held at the Christ Episcopal Church on Friday December 9, 2016 at 8pm and at the Providence Presbyterian Church on Saturday December 10, 2016 at 8pm. 

Rachel Choe is the co-founder of the Washington Chamber Orchestra, a non profit organization with a mission of making classical music more accessible to more people. 

Choe studios give fall recitals.

Choe's flute studios are giving recitals: Peabody Preparatory studio on Sunday December 4th, 2016 at 3:30pm and Johns Hopkins flute studio on Thursday December 15th, 2016 at 6:30pm both at the Cohen Davidson Theatre of Peabody Institute. The Johns Hopkins studio will perform with the program of Bach Sonata in G minor and Reinecke and Nielsen's flute concertos: the Preparatory studio recital includes works by Dutilleux, Gluck, Haydn, Bach, Mozart, Fukishima, Hue, Gaubert and Enescu. 

WCO opens the season of 2016-2017.

The Washington Chamber Orchestra opens the new season of 2016/2017 with violinist Irina Muresanu, professor at University of Maryland College Park, playing magnificent Beethoven violin concerto. The WCO also performs cheerful Italian Symphony by Mendelssohn. The concerts are held in the Providence Presbyterian Church in Fairfax VA on Friday October 28, 2016 at 8pm and in Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia MD on Saturday October 29, 2016 at 8pm. 

Choe is the co-founder of the Washington Chamber Orchestra, a non profit organization with a mission of making classical music more accessible to more people. 

Annual Recital in Korea 2016

Choe is giving her annual solo recital at South Seoul Jesus Church in Pangyo Gyung-gi Korea on Sunday August 21, 2016 with award winning pianist Jeein Hwang. The program includes Mozart Quartet in D major arranged for flute and piano, Bartok Suite Paysanne Hongroise, Lied by Mendelssohn and Schubert arranged by Steckmest and Boehm, and some christian music. Free admission.

Choe performs and teaches at Marina Piccinini International Masterclasses

Choe performs and teaches at the 9th Marina Piccinini International Masterclasses 2016, which will be held at Peabody Institute from May 28, 2016 to June 1. She will be performing Ewazen Sonata No. 1 at the faculty concert and teaching students in the high school division with Brook Ferguson, the principal flutist of the Colorado Symphony and Kristin Bochiochi Stewart of the Lyra ensemble, all Piccinini studio alumni. 

Tribute Concert Honoring Yong Ku Ahn

Choe performed at a tribute concert honoring Yong Ku Ahn, a former long-time Peabody Institute faculty member who passed away on August 14, 2013.  He was a full-time member of the Conservatory violin faculty from September 1968 through January 2002. Although Choe doesn't have first hand recollection since she came to Peabody just a few months before he retired, Choe has heard about his great legacy as a beloved violinist, teacher, conductor, and humanitarian. The concert was held in the home of Ahn's where still Mrs. Ahn resides and was fully attended with his family members and friends who missed him dearly and colleagues who brought out vivid remembrance. Choe performed with cellist Wonhee Pang and pianist Hyunah Lee, with works by Weber, Chaminade, Schumann and some spirituals. 

Choe studios give spring recitals.

Choe's flute studios are giving recitals: Johns Hopkins flute studio on Wednesday May 4th, 2016 and Peabody Preparatory studio on Sunday May 8th, 2016 at 3:30pm both at the Cohen Davidson Theatre of Peabody Institute. The Preparatory studio recital includes works by Bach, Handel, Gluck, Mozart, Faure, Poulenc, and Godard; the Johns Hopkins studio will perform with the program of Mercadante, Ewazen, CPE Bach, Widor and Taktakishvili. Free admission.

SONAR new music ensemble: the last concert of the season 2015-2016

Choe returns to the SONAR new music ensemble at their concert, titled "Invisible Cities," at the home of the ensemble, Baltimore Theatre Project on Friday, April 29 at 8:00 PM & Sunday, May 1 at 3:00 PM. Tickets: $10 students and seniors/ $15 general admission. SONAR welcomes Italian writer Italo Calvino for the final concert of the season, as he brings the audience "on another journey across imagined and fantastical landscapes." Also featuring exciting works by Chris Cerrone (Scenes from Invisible Cities), Adny Akiho, Kevin Puts, John Cage, and more, as well as new works by RADARlab Alumni Natalie Draper, Christopher Ciampoli, Michael Rickelton and Alexa Rinn.

WCO spring concerts info

WCO's Cycle 3 "THE SOUNDS OF SPRING" will be held in Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Clifton, VA (Friday, Mar. 18, 2016 at 8pm) and Garden Presbyterian Church, Columbia, MD (Saturday, Mar. 19, 2016 at 8pm) with the program of Copland Appalachian Spring, Barber Adagio for Strings and Dvorak Serenade for Strings in E minor op.22. 

WCO finishes its second season with a benefit concert cycle, "Food for the Hungry," Two concerts will be given at Washington Korean United Presbyterian Church, Bethesda, MD (Friday, May 20, 2016 at 8pm) and at Bethel Presbyterian Church, Ellicott City, MD (Saturday, May 21, 2016 at 7:30pm). The program includes Sibelius Valse Triste, Mozart Violin Concerto No. 5 and Beethoven Symphony No. 7.  

Choe is a co-founder of the Washington Chamber Orchestra with a mission of making classical music more accessible to more people. 

Solo flute on Bach's Christmas cantata

Choe will be playing the beautiful flute solo of Bach's Christmas Cantata at the Christmas Concert by the Washington Chamber Orchestra with soprano Hyunah Yu on Friday and Saturday December 11 & 12, 2015. The concerts will be held in Christ Episcopal Church in Columbia MD and the Korean Central Presbyterian Church. The program also includes Corelli's Christmas Concerto, Bach's Wedding Cantata and Cimarosa Oboe concerto with its principal oboist Stephen Key. 

SONAR new music ensemble concert

Choe performs with the Sonar New Music Ensemble at their first concert of the season. The concert will be held on November 20 and 22, 2015 at the Baltimore Theatre Project. 

Debut as a speaker of a concert

While in Korea, Choe was invited to talk as a narrator of a concert presented by Trio Namu at the Youngsan Art Hall. Upon a friendly request by Suh-Young Park, the flutist of the trio and a classmate of Piccinini studio at Peabody, Choe made her debut as a speaker to talk about the program during the concert.

Suh-Young and her two other friends who went to Seoul Arts High School together as classmates, formed the Trio Namu based upon their long friendship after they finally finished their years of prestigious music education in Europe and U.S., permanently moved back to Korea, and started their own professional careers as performing musicians. The concert was presented as a special series of Summer Vacation Music for Young Audience at Youngsan. 

2015 Summer recital in Gapyeong Korea

On Saturday August 15, 2015, Choe is giving a private trio recital with her dear friends Hyojung Song, piano and Mijoo Kim, clarinet at the Jesusville Auditorium, Gapyeong Gyung-gi, Korea. The program includes works by Mozart, Born/Bizet, Mendelssohn, Saint Saen and many more. Admission by invitation only. 

Choe becomes one of the jury members at the Korea Times Music Competition.

Choe was invited to serve on a jury member at the 2nd Korea Times Music Competition. The mission of the competition is to advance young classical musicians of Korean Heritage throughout the Washington metropolitan areas. The competition will be held on Saturday May 30, 2015 in Annandale VA. 

Choe flute studios give the spring recitals.

Two of Choe flute studios of Peabody give the spring recitals in the Cohen Davidson Theatre of Peabody Institute. Her Johns Hopkins Studio will perform on Wednesday May 6, 2015 with works by Hoover, Schubert, Mozart, Schumann and Copland, and her Peabody Preparatory studio on Sunday May 10, 2015 with works by Bach, Chaminade, Dutilleux, Beethoven, Debussy and Poulenc. These are show case of her students at Peabody at the end of every semester. Free Admission. 

Residence at Bravo Waterbury with Orchkids

Choe was in the residence in Bravo Waterbury as Orchkids instructor in collaboration with Archipelago Project from March 29, 2015 to April 1, 2015. Bravo Waterbury is a music education program in Waterbury, Connecticut for under served children in their neighborhood. Bravo is an El Sistema inspired program that will address the various social, mental, and physical challenges that are occurring in their lives, and teach them to persevere through those situations. Choe lead her leading flute students of Orchkids playing flute trios and coached the flute section for the combined ensemble. 

Choe played Faure with WCO

Choe performed Faure Fantasie with the Washington Chamber Orchestra. The program also includes Beethoven 12 contradanses, Tchaikovsky Nocturne, Serenade for strings and Faure’s Pavane. The concerts were held at McLean Presbyterian Church on Friday March 20, 2015 at 8pm and at Garden Presbyterian Church on Saturday March 21, 2015 at 7:30pm. 

Concert at LIVE+C in Ellicott City MD on Dec 27 2014

Rachel Choe Quartet performed at Live+C in Ellicott City MD on Dec 27th 2014. It was a fundraising event held by THREE COFFEE that helps a coffee farm in Chiapas Mexico. In the village, the coffee company buys their coffee beans in a better price than fair trade and helps to provide meals to underprivileged immigrants and tuition-free education to young students.  Todd Simon, piano, Blake Meister, contrabass, and Byung Kang, drum joined the quartet for the concert.