The Washington Post declared pianist Shirley Yoo as having “extraordinary sensitivity and technical skill.” She has given numerous recitals in her native Pittsburgh where several live performances have been broadcast on WQED-FM. Abroad, she has performed on concert series in England, Italy, Austria, Canada, India, and Korea. Her top prize winnings include such competitions as the Pittsburgh Concert Society, the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs, the National Society of Arts and Letters, the Kosciuszko Foundation’s National Chopin Competition, and the Young Keyboard Artists’ Association International Competition.

An active collaborator, she has performed in several chamber ensembles at various festivals and appeared at the Smithsonian Institution’s American History Museum as a part of Schubert’s bicentennial celebration. She has been coached regularly by members of the Guarneri and Juilliard String Quartets and participated in masterclasses with Marc Durand, Leon Fleisher, Marek Jablonski and Seymour Lipkin. In 2000, she was awarded a grant from the Presser Foundation to study abroad in London, England with Noretta Conci-Leech.

Shirley graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree at Johns Hopkins University and received her Master of Music degree with highest honors at the University of Maryland on a fellowship. She attended the Royal Academy of Music in London, England and recently received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Peabody Conservatory. Currently, Shirley is staff accompanist at Curtis Institute and teaches at several Philadelphia area music preparatory schools. She is also on the faculty at Peabody Conservatory teaching piano minors as well as in the Theory Department.