Hailed a “stylish clarinetist” by the New York Times, Paul Won Jin Cho is one of the most active musicians in New York City. Mr. Cho’s performances have reached audiences throughout the United States, Asia, Australia, and Europe. After 2017-18 season, he has become a tenured principal clarinetist of the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra and debuted playing bass clarinet with Met Opera Orchestra in their production of Elektra. He has served as principal clarinet in various ensembles, including the American Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble LPR.
Mr. Cho’s orchestral appearance includes principal clarinet positions with the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra, American Youth Symphony and Asian Youth Orchestra. His solo appearances include John Harbison’s Concerto for Oboe and Clarinet with Cornell Chamber Orchestra, the Nielsen Concerto with Yale Philharmonia, Debussy’s Premiere Rhapsodie with Torrance Symphony Orchestra, and Mozart’s Concerto for Clarinet with Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra and on basset clarinet with period instrument ensemble The Sebastians.
An avid chamber musician, Mr. Cho recently joined forces with clarinetist David Shifrin to record Beethoven woodwind chamber music for the Naxos label. As a fellow of the renowned Ensemble Connect (formerly known as Ensemble ACJW), Mr. Cho performed at Carnegie Hall more than a dozen times, collaborating with Sir Simon Rattle, David Robertson, Jessica Rivera Shafer, Timo Andres, and Andrew Norman. Mr. Cho is also a core member of Decoda, the first ever Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall. In addition, he served as a clarinetist of Quintet of the Americas.
During the summers, Mr. Cho has toured throughout Europe with Youth Orchestra of the Americas collaborating with Placido Domingo, Gabriela Montero and Benjamin Zander. In 2007, he was a Tanglewood Music Center Fellow, performing under the baton of James Levine, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Stefan Asbury. In recent years, Mr. Cho has played in Lincoln Center Summer Festivals, Geneva Light Opera, MostArts Festival, and Nesin Cultural Arts Summer Music Academy.
Besides playing the clarinet, Mr. Cho enjoys his resident conductor tenure with Albano Ballet where he directs Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker every December. On Sundays, Mr. Cho conducts the choir at New Frontier Church, a Korean church in New York City, and plays at Redeemer Presbyterian Church as a solo clarinetist.
His teaching career have started guiding undergraduate clarinet players at Yale University. After moving to New York City, Mr has become a clarinet instructor at Adelphi University, Horace Mann School, and New York Music School in Tenafly, NJ.
Mr. Cho’s instrumental influences come from Dong-Jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, Yehuda Gilad at University of Southern California, and David Shifrin at Yale School of Music.
