Biography
Pianist Hyung-ki Joo maintains an active career both on his own and within chamber settings, yet he remains most closely identified with the classical-music comedy programs he has staged alongside violinist Alexey Igudesman. Early in his recording career he interpreted Billy Joel’s classical compositions for the album Fantasies & Delusions; as a soloist he had earlier been mentored by violinist Yehudi Menuhin. In 2023 the Igudesman–Joo partnership released the comedy album The Music Critic, which included actor John Malkovich.
Born in England near 1973—according to a 2011 San Jose Mercury News profile that listed him as thirty-eight—Joo spent his childhood in Norwich, the son of South Korean parents. He has occasionally appeared under the name Richard Joo. Piano study began at eight; two years afterward he entered the Yehudi Menuhin School, where his principal instructors were Peter Norris and Seta Tanyel. Menuhin’s own wide-ranging interests, which encompassed collaborations with world-music and jazz artists, also left a mark. After graduation Menuhin invited Joo to appear at his eightieth-birthday concert at London’s Barbican. At the same school Joo met Alexey Igudesman; both shared an admiration for the Monty Python troupe, and at fourteen Joo gave the first performance of Igudesman’s Bastard Sonata. He later attended the Manhattan School of Music, completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees with Nina Svetlova among his teachers.
Joo’s first appearance on disc came in 2000 on the Smithsonian anthology Piano Grand!, followed the next year by his solo outing on Fantasies & Delusions; the Joel project stemmed from a personal friendship that also led to work with classical-crossover composer Vangelis. He has appeared as concerto soloist with conductors including Menuhin, Rumon Gamba, and Sergiu Comissiona, and he maintains the piano trio Dimension for chamber work. As a composer his scores have reached the New York Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, and Chicago Symphony. The greater part of his visibility, however, derives from the duo Igudesman & Joo, which has toured extensively in Britain and the United States presenting classical comedy. In the manner once associated with Victor Borge, the pair fuse Gloria Gaynor’s disco anthem I Will Survive with passages by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and Chopin; Joo occasionally adds a karate demonstration. Straight classical repertoire appears on their 2016 Paladino Music release Brahms & Bridge: Piano Trios, while the 2023 album The Music Critic—conceived by Igudesman and again featuring John Malkovich—returns to comedy. In 2024 the pair announced that their touring partnership would conclude at the close of 2025.
Born in England near 1973—according to a 2011 San Jose Mercury News profile that listed him as thirty-eight—Joo spent his childhood in Norwich, the son of South Korean parents. He has occasionally appeared under the name Richard Joo. Piano study began at eight; two years afterward he entered the Yehudi Menuhin School, where his principal instructors were Peter Norris and Seta Tanyel. Menuhin’s own wide-ranging interests, which encompassed collaborations with world-music and jazz artists, also left a mark. After graduation Menuhin invited Joo to appear at his eightieth-birthday concert at London’s Barbican. At the same school Joo met Alexey Igudesman; both shared an admiration for the Monty Python troupe, and at fourteen Joo gave the first performance of Igudesman’s Bastard Sonata. He later attended the Manhattan School of Music, completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees with Nina Svetlova among his teachers.
Joo’s first appearance on disc came in 2000 on the Smithsonian anthology Piano Grand!, followed the next year by his solo outing on Fantasies & Delusions; the Joel project stemmed from a personal friendship that also led to work with classical-crossover composer Vangelis. He has appeared as concerto soloist with conductors including Menuhin, Rumon Gamba, and Sergiu Comissiona, and he maintains the piano trio Dimension for chamber work. As a composer his scores have reached the New York Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Vienna Symphony, and Chicago Symphony. The greater part of his visibility, however, derives from the duo Igudesman & Joo, which has toured extensively in Britain and the United States presenting classical comedy. In the manner once associated with Victor Borge, the pair fuse Gloria Gaynor’s disco anthem I Will Survive with passages by Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and Chopin; Joo occasionally adds a karate demonstration. Straight classical repertoire appears on their 2016 Paladino Music release Brahms & Bridge: Piano Trios, while the 2023 album The Music Critic—conceived by Igudesman and again featuring John Malkovich—returns to comedy. In 2024 the pair announced that their touring partnership would conclude at the close of 2025.
Singles
Live
