Percussionist Irene Yoonseo Kang is world-renowned for her refined musicality and diverse performance experience as both a soloist and orchestral musician. Since 2025, she has served as Principal Percussionist of the Bozeman Symphony, and has performed with leading orchestras including the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, the Seoul Philharmonic and the
Dallas Symphony. She also completed a successful tour of the UK with the Juilliard Baroque Ensemble, showcasing her versatility across musical genres.

As a soloist, she made her European debut at the Concert de Gala in Lausanne, Switzerland, at the invitation of the legendary Keiko Abe. Early in her career, she was selected as a Kumho Young Artist leading to concerto appearances with the Seongnam Philharmonic, the Busan Philharmonic, and the Incheon Philharmonic, as well as solo recitals and performances at international percussion festivals throughout Korea, Japan, United States and Europe.

Her distinguished international competition experience includes the First Prize at the 13th Italy International Percussion Competition, the Grand Prize at the 2022 London Young Musician Competition, and the Grand Prize at the 2021 Busan Maru International Music Festival, along with numerous other top prizes in Korea and abroad.

After graduating from the Yewon School, she attended the Seoul Arts High School before moving to the United States, where she earned her Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music and her Master of Music from The Juilliard School. She remains the only Korean percussionist to graduate from both Curtis and Juilliard.

Currently, she is pursuing a Performer’s Diploma at Southern Methodist University. Her mentors include Don Liuzzi, Robert van Sice, Eric Millstein, Gregory Zuber, Daniel Druckman, Markus Rhoten, and George Nickson.

Irene Yoonseo Kang has also participated twice in the Aspen Music Festival and School (2019, 2024), receiving both the Charles Owen Memorial Scholarship and the Avedis Zildjian Company Percussion Scholarship. With her profound interpretive insight and dynamic performances, she continues to engage and inspire audiences around the world.