Issac Choi is a composer and pianist from Simi Valley, CA, currently studying composition with Oscar Bettison at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, MA. His accomplishments as a classical pianist include the Lana M. Bailey Piano Concerto Award for his performance with the Amadeo Philharmonic Society and serving as the pianist for Old Bay New Music ensemble, Peabody’s resident new music sinfonietta. As a jazz pianist, he performs in a combo led by drummer Nasar Abadey and plays gigs in the Baltimore/DC area. These experiences shape his compositional voice that uses jazz-inspired harmonies as building blocks for a highly individual sense of form and phrasing. He has collaborated with loadbang ensemble and the Peabody Jazz Ensemble. In addition, he serves as a music director. He arranges and performs with the Octopodes, Johns Hopkins University’s premier competitive acapella choir.
