Issac Choi is a composer and pianist from Simi Valley, CA, currently studying composition with Sky Macklay, Oscar Bettison, and Kevin Puts at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, MA. His compositions are inspired by various sources and are at times topical, engaging in memories, textures, or abstract concepts. At other times, he uses musical devices like melody and harmony as the basis for his work and invites the listener to examine their effect. His choices of style range from conventional to jazzy to experimental, and everything in-between. He has collaborated with loadbang ensemble and the Peabody Jazz Ensemble, and has an upcoming collaboration with Duo Tesserae in the Fall of 2026.
Issac is an active pianist, performing both jazz and classical styles. He received the Lana M. Bailey Piano Concerto Award in 2024 after performing with the Amadeo Philharmonic Society in New York City. He is a performing member of the Old Bay New Music ensemble at Peabody Institute, a sinfonietta dedicated to premiering new student works, and frequently performs new chamber music by his composer colleagues. He receives piano minor lessons from Joshua Espinoza and Tianyuan Liu.
Issac plays jazz piano in the Baltimore/DC area as well as in Ventura County. He serves as the pianist for The Ambient Project, a trumpet-piano duo with trumpet player Joshua Morris. The Ambient Project performs a blend of traditional jazz and fully improvised music, as showcased in their latest album, Duets Vol. I, available on all streaming platforms. He has performed in Baltimore at the Keystone Korner and has an upcoming performance at An Die Musik in the Fall of 2026.
In addition, Issac is the music director of the Octopodes, Johns Hopkins’ leading competitive A Capella group. He has arranged seven songs for the group and contributed to their 2025 ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Capella) performance, earning 2nd place in the mid-Atlantic semifinals. In the spring of 2027 Issac will lead the Octopodes in their next ICCA run.
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