Jonghee Yoon
Concert Organist & Church Musician
Jonghee Yoon is Organist and Music Associate at Bellevue Presbyterian Church in Seattle, Washington, where she plays a central role in the church’s worship and artistic life. In this position she contributes to worship leadership, choral accompaniment, and the coordination of the church’s active and intergenerational music ministry. A versatile performer on organ, harpsichord, and clavichord, Jonghee is recognized for her expressive artistry, stylistic fluency, and commitment to musical excellence that bridges both sacred tradition and modern concert life.
Jonghee has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia, appearing in prominent venues such as Trinity College Cambridge (UK), St. James Cathedral in Toronto, St. Peter’s Church in New York City, and the Spoleto Festival USA. Her international engagements have included solo recitals at Propsteikirche St. Trinitatis (Leipzig, Germany), Sainte-Radegonde (Poitiers, France), San Lorenzo Mártir (Segovia, Spain), and Haderslev Cathedral(Denmark), as well as performances throughout the United States and South Korea. In 2022 she became the first organist to win the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra’s Rising Stars Competition, performing as concerto soloist with the orchestra. The following year she was honored as one of The Diapason’s “20 Under 30”, recognizing emerging international leaders in organ, harpsichord, and sacred music.A devoted recitalist and ensemble musician, Jonghee’s versatility extends from early music to the Romantic and contemporary repertoire. She has performed continuo and chamber music with the Gödi Baroque Ensemble (Hungary), Saint Peter’s Bach Collegium (New York), and the East Carolina University Baroque Ensemble. Her collaborations with brass players—including trumpet and sackbut—reflect her passion for historically informed performance practice. Her playing has been featured on Pipe Dreams, the nationally syndicated American Public Media radio program devoted to the art of the organ.
Her academic path reflects both depth and distinction. Jonghee earned the Advanced Diploma in Organ Performanceunder Nathan Laube at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she also pursued secondary study in harpsichord. She holds a Master’s Degree in Sacred Music and Organ Performance from East Carolina University, and a Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from Ewha Womans University in Seoul, where she was named to the Dean’s List for academic excellence. Her training further includes courses in choral conducting, piano pedagogy, continuo realization, and improvisation with Bálint Karosi and Romantic repertoire studies with Bryan Ashley.
Dedicated equally to artistry and service, Jonghee is guided by a belief that sacred music has the power to inspire, welcome, and unite. Whether performing a major organ symphony, accompanying a hymn of faith, or mentoring young musicians, she seeks to create spaces where musical beauty becomes an instrument of grace and community. In addition to her work as a performer, she continues to engage in teaching, conducting, continuo playing, and organ building, bringing curiosity, craftsmanship, and devotion to every aspect of her vocation.
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Equally active as a liturgical musician and conductor, Jonghee previously served as Organ Scholar at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church in Greenville, North Carolina. There she conducted and accompanied choirs, planned worship music with the choirmaster, improvised hymn introductions and postludes, and produced service recordings. Earlier in her career, she held music director and conductor positions at Daeshin Church and Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, leading choirs and orchestras in large-scale worship concerts and special services. Her musical foundation was shaped by more than a decade as a violinist and choral soprano at Yoido Full Gospel Church, experiences that fostered her collaborative sensitivity and deep understanding of sacred repertoire.
​Jonghee’s artistry is complemented by a broad foundation of international study and craftsmanship. She has participated in masterclasses and academies throughout Europe, including studies with Martin Schmeding, Michel Bouvard, Olivier Houette, Jean-Baptiste Robin, Jeremy Joseph, and János Pálúr. Her exploration of organ building at the C. B. Fisk workshop in Massachusetts enriched her appreciation for the technical and acoustic dimensions of the instrument, bridging artistry and engineering in the American organ-building tradition.
