Born in South Korea, Somi began her piano studies at the age of eight and moved to New Zealand in 1997. Somi graduated with a Master of Music with First Class Honours in Piano Performance from the University of Auckland last year, studying under Rae de Lisle and Stephen De Pledge. During her studies in New Zealand she was the recipient of the Auckland Centennial Music Festival Scholarship, Bernhardt and Anne Harrison Scholarship, Margaret Doone Memorial Piano Sonata Scholarship, Anne Bellam Scholarship, John Baros Scholarship, Llewyln Jones Prize, and the Patricia Pratt Scholarship in Musical Performance. Somi has played in public masterclasses with Craig Sheppard, Stephen Hough, Simon Trpceski, Stephen Kovacevich, Florian Boesch, Helmut Deutsch, and Maxim Vengerov.

Somi’s chamber group Estrella were winners of the 6^th Pettman/Royal Over-Seas League Arts International Scholarship in 2012. Subsequently, she undertook a six week tour of the United Kingdom performing at prestigious venues including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, St. James Piccadily. and St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Future engagements in 2014 include concerts at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Oxford Lieder Festival.

Somi is currently studying for a Master of Arts in Piano Accompaniment at the Royal Academy of Music under the tutelage of Michael Dussek. She is grateful for the support from the James Wallace Arts Trust, San Martino Scholarship, and the Leverhulme Trust Postgraduate Scholarship.

 Mozart, Violin Concerto No.3, K. 216, 1st Movement, with Mathilde Milwidsky

 Brahms, Sonata Op.99, Allegro vivace, with Alberto Casadei

 F. Chopin, Introduction et Polonaise brillante, Op.3, with Alberto Casadei