2016 – The Boston Conservatory at Berklee

             Master of Music in Marimba Performance

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2014 – Chapman University

             Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance

             Minor in Psychology

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Christina Soyun Cheon (b. 1992) is a Korean-American musician and educator based in Orange County, California. She has won top prizes in competitions such as the 2018 Great Plains International Marimba Competition, the 2013 California PAS Percussion Competition, and the 2009 Southern California International Marimba Competition. She has also been awarded a four-year fellowship and scholarship with the Higher Education Leadership Ministries, a sponsored opportunity to attend the 2013 Percussive Arts Society International Convention through the George Contreras Scholarship, and the 2013 Dream With Me Instrumental Scholarship in Pasadena, CA, among others.

Christina has performed in multiple cities throughout North America and Europe as a soloist and chamber musician. After a successful audition, Christina joined the 2019 World Percussion Group on a European tour within the United Kingdom, Spain, and Portugal. During the tour, she presented concerts and masterclasses in music conservatories and performed in notable venues such as the Bridgewater Hall at Manchester, UK. Christina has also been invited to perform with the Los Angeles Sinfonietta in Walt Disney Concert Hall and music festivals such as the 2013 Zeltsman Marimba Festival, where she performed Orange Skylark Circles with Gordon Stout, the 2018 Lansum International Music Festival, and the 2018 Trinidad Bay Arts and Music Festival in Northern California. 

While she was completing her graduate studies at Boston, Christina was involved with the Korean American Cultural Foundation (KACF) and performed in a concert dedicated to the late victims of the 2014 Sewol ferry incident in South Korea. Videos of the 2016 KACF concert, “Elegy for the Fallen - Light beyond Abyss,” can be found here: https://vimeo.com/istormapps/videos. Other memorable performances included a recital for the Oasis Café Concert Series in Brookline, MA, a community outreach concert for patients with multiple sclerosis, and music for an ordination service at the First Church in Cambridge (https://vimeo.com/173349690).

As an educator for more than a decade, Christina has taught private lessons for all ages, presented masterclasses for several local high schools in Southern California, and appeared as guest lecturer for the Colburn School of Music, Chapman University, San Jose State University, and the U Music Education Foundation.

 

Christina's own music education reaches back to her first piano lessons as a child and her involvement with marching band throughout middle and high school school. Outside of school, she performed in the 2010 All-Southern Honors Wind Ensemble under the instruction of composer and conductor Frank Ticheli and had her solo artist debut in 2010 at Chapman University’s Memorial Hall after winning the scholastic division of the 2009 Southern California International Marimba Competition.

 

Thanks to her formative music experiences as a youth, she was able to pursue her studies with Dr. Nick Terry and Dr. Justin DeHart at Chapman University, and later studied with Nancy Zeltsman, Sam Solomon, Kyle Brightwell, Keith Aleo, and Dr. Doug Perkins at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She also continued learning the piano under Karen Knecht and performed in several piano recitals during her years at Chapman University.

In 2014, Christina founded Southern California Marimba (SCM), a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to become a leading platform for professional and educational development locally and throughout the world. SCM has invited artists to perform in multiple venues such as the Music Vault Academy, Chapman University, Harbor Christian Church, and Hoson House. The organization expanded to include programs such as outreach clinics, guest artist masterclasses, the New Work Initiative, and the biennial International Artist Competition that completed its 3rd season in June 2023 (www.scmarimba.org/competition/iac). Christina served as the Artistic & Executive Director for 9 years before she retired from her role in the summer of 2023. She is still active as a guest artist and as a member of the Southern California Marimba Quartet.

 

In the summer of 2024, Christina incorporated her teaching studio under KeyNote Music Academy, an LLC that serves students and teachers in Orange County, CA to foster a personalized music education at the comfort of their homes.
 

In addition to teaching, Christina maintains a regular performance schedule as a soloist and ensemble musician. She is proud to endorse Marimba One as an Educational Artist. Christina loves spending time with her husband, newborn daughter, and two cats.