“She aims at a real understanding of the works at hand and is able to produce performances of true subtlety …” – Matti Raekallio
An acclaimed soloist and collaborative pianist, Dr. Hana Chu has appeared on stages throughout North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Korea with many distinguished artists.
Widely recognized and sought after for numerous collaborations, she has shown her diverse artistic scope as a chamber musician. She has frequently performed with her piano-duo partner, Tarin Supprakorn, as well as with chamber groups such as the Luminare Quartet in various parts of the globe. In 2015 and 2017, she gave solo and chamber music concerts in Jordan to help cultivate the first generation of classical musicians in the country. In 2017, she was invited to perform in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as part of a cultural event, and in 2019 she was invited to perform and give a masterclass in Bangkok, Thailand. Most recently, she was invited to perform at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference (ITEC) 2025 in Valencia, Spain.
As an enthusiastic advocate of new music, she has premiered Blue Pacific by leading contemporary composer Michael Torke and released a single album on Ecstatic Records, which can be heard on classical music stations across the U.S. While attending Juilliard, she regularly performed with the New Juilliard Ensemble under the baton of founder and director Joel Sachs, as well as premiered many of her peer composers’ works. She also enjoys collaborating with jazz and pop musicians to bring riveting and unique performances to audiences, including an international tour with her fellow Korean musicians with the novel concept of blending different genres of music within one concert.
Winning her first competition at the age of five, she is a prizewinner of many distinguished competitions including the Mary Graham Lasley Scholarship Competition, MTNA Solo and Duo Piano Competitions, Nordmann Piano Scholarship Competition, New York Piano Competition, and the Oberlin Piano Competition. She was a semi-finalist in the Ninth Chopin National Competition held in Florida and has received numerous scholarships, including the Van Cliburn Scholarship, Arthur Gold/Robert Fizdale Scholarship, Olga Smaroff Scholarship, Sejong Scholarship, Hyon Chough/Bernie Sacharski Scholarship, and Wollenberg Saphar Memorial Scholarship.
A native of South Korea, she received her degrees from the Juilliard School under the instruction of Matti Raekallio and Jerome Lowenthal, and from the Eastman School of Music as a protégé of Nelita True and Jean Barr.
Dr. Chu is currently on the piano faculty at Denison University and has previously taught at Nazareth College, Monroe Community College, Kent State University, and Cedarville University. Beginning in the summer of 2025, she joined the faculty of the Encore Chamber Music Institute in Cleveland. She frequently attends and presents at conferences such as MTNA and NCKP, serves as a board member of the Ohio Music Teachers Association (OMTA), and has been active as a juror for numerous piano competitions. She regularly performs in the Mary Trevor Chamber Music Series in Granville, OH, enriching the community where she lives. Beyond her university and professional commitments, she also serves as a collaborative pianist at the Korean Church of Columbus.
Outside of music, she enjoys life with her two beautiful cats, Fanny and Clara.