Ara Koh

Dr. Ara Koh has been a faculty member at UIW since 2013, teaching applied piano lessons, Keyboard Skills, Intro Aural Skill, coordinating piano seminar and accompanying the Cardinal Chorale. She has concertized extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia as a soloist, chamber musician, and collaborative pianist. Most recently she has appeared at the Sejong Art Center in Korea, Taipei National Performing Art Center in Taiwan, Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Austria and Conservatoire Frédéric Chopin in Paris. She has also been interviewed by various local newspapers and music magazine such as The Piano (Korea), Music Journal (Korea), An Die Musik (USA), and KSAT (USA). 

Prior to teaching at UIW, she taught undergraduate Class Piano for both major and non-major students and Applied Lessons at Penn State University as a teaching assistant. While she was in schools, she won the Fine Art Scholarship as well as the University Concerto Competition, Aspen Festival Scholarship and PSU Graduate Exhibition Competition. She was also invited to World Piano Pedagogy Festival in Las Vegas to perform Chopin's Ballade No.4. She has received the awards from The Music Teacher's Association of California for Solo Competition and Piano Ensemble competition. In addition to performances on concert stages around the world, she has also participated in numerous festivals as a soloist, collaborative pianist, and vocal coach, including Tanglewood Music Festival and Aspen Music Festival. 

Dr. Koh also participated in numerous benefit concerts by sharing her talent at local schools, senior homes, and hospitals. She has helped raise money for poor children and people living with illness by donating her musical talent and concert profits to the Prométhée Humainitaire and several school districts in Korea. 

She is an active member of MTNA and serves as an adjudicator for numerous piano competitions including Steinway Concerto competition, TMTA Competition and Burba Scholarship competition. Her students have won several national and international competitions including KPAC Talent Competition, Tuesday Musical Competition, Sonatina and Sonata International Youth Piano Competition. 

Dr. Koh currently serves as a staff accompanist at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.