Jasmine Choi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jasmine Choi
Jasmine Choi in 2017
Background information
Native name	최나경
Born	Seoul, South Korea
Genres	Classical, Jazz, Pop
Occupation(s)	Flautist
Instruments	Flute

Jasmine Choi (Choi Na-kyung, born in Seoul, South Korea, on May 23, 1983) is a talented flautist. She was born in Korea and studied music in the United States. Today, she lives in Austria.

Jasmine Choi's Early Life and Education

Jasmine Choi grew up in Daejeon, South Korea. Her family was very musical. Her grandfather started the Chung-Joo Philharmonic Orchestra. Her mother was a professional violinist.

Starting Her Musical Journey

Jasmine began playing music at age three. She learned both the piano and the violin. When she was in third grade, she started playing the recorder for school. At age nine, she began playing the flute.

Moving to the United States

When Jasmine was twelve, she was accepted into an arts school in Seoul. Later, during high school, she moved to the United States. She went to a school there that did not have a music program.

Studying at Top Music Schools

At sixteen, Jasmine was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music. This special program allowed her to earn her high school diploma while studying music. From 2000 to 2004, she studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. Her teachers included famous flautists like Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner.

In 2002, while still a student, she won a major competition. It was called the Albert M. Greenfield Student Competition. The Philadelphia Orchestra supported this competition. In 2006, Symphony Magazine recognized her as one of the top new artists.

Personal Life

Jasmine Choi met her husband in 2013. They got married in 2016.

Jasmine Choi's Music Career

Jasmine Choi has had a very successful music career. She has performed with many famous orchestras. She has also released several recordings.

Early Recordings and Orchestra Roles

In 2006, her first recording was released in Korea. It was called Jasmine Choi plays Mozart. This album featured her playing two of Mozart's flute concertos.

After that, she became the associate principal flute for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. She played under the conductor Paavo Järvi. Later, she became the principal flute for the Vienna Symphony under Fabio Luisi.

Making History with the Vienna Symphony

From May 2012 to August 2013, Jasmine Choi was the Principal Flute of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. She was the first person born in Korea to join this famous orchestra. While with the orchestra, she recorded Mozart's flute quartets with other musicians.

Artist-in-Residence Positions

Jasmine Choi has also been an "artist-in-residence" at important music centers. In 2018, she was the artist-in-residence for the Sejong Arts Center in Seoul. From 2018 to 2021, she held the same role for the New York Classical Players.

Creating New Music and Products

Jasmine Choi has changed violin concertos by Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky for the flute. She also changed Saint-Saens's Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso for the flute. She has recorded works by Claude Bolling (in 2012) and the 12 Fantasies for Solo Flute by Georg Philipp Telemann (in 2015). A composer named Mark Laycock even wrote a flute concerto just for her.

Jasmine Choi is also an official cultural ambassador for her hometown, Daejeon, Korea. On May 6, 2021, she announced a new product she helped create. It's called the SmartCase, made with Kalb Manufaktur.

Teaching at Indiana University

On April 25, 2025, it was announced that Jasmine Choi accepted a teaching job. As of August 1, 2025, she is a flute professor at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

Jasmine Choi's Recordings

Here are some of Jasmine Choi's recordings:

• Naxos - Composer's Notebook, Vol. 2 - From My Bookshelf, Flute Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major (version for flute and string orchestra), with the Kyiv Virtuosi Orchestra and Dmitry Yablonsky (conductor) (2025)
• Love in Paris - a live recital album, with Sangwook Park (2017)
• Trio Joy - free improvisations, with Joe Fonda and Harvey Sorgen (2017)
• The Telemann Files : 12 Fantasies for Solo Flute (2015)
• W.A.Mozart: 5 Quartets with Flute, with members of the Vienna Symphony (2013)
• Claude Bolling Suite for Flute and Jazz Trio (2012)
• Fantasy (2011)
• Jasmine Choi Plays Mozart (2006) (released only in Korea)