Sueyoung Yoo

 In January 2017, a friend of Sueyoung's climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in her memory, with the goal of raising funds and awareness about brain aneurysms. You can see some beautiful pictures, and learn more about brain aneurysms, here: 

 

www.kili2017.com

 

If you would like to donate to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation, please click this link!

http://give.bafound.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=1060887&pg=personal&fr_id=1040

 

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Sueyoung Yoo was a musician, teacher and mentor loved by family and friends in her native Korea and in the United States, where she passed away on Memorial Day, 2015. 

Sueyoung began taking piano lessons at the age of five. Throughout her middle school and high school years she continued to take private lessons until enrolling at Keimyoung University, one of Korea's most prestigious music schools.

After graduation Sueyoung worked in Seoul for several years as an accomplished performing artist.

In 2002 Sueyoung received a scholarship to study Jazz performance at the University of North Texas.

Upon earning her M.M. from UNT in 2007, she was accepted in 2008 for a prestigious composition residency at the Macdowell Colony in New Hampshire.   In addition to her amazing piano skills, Sueyoung had a beautiful high soprano voice and sang opera, jazz and pop music.  If you are viewing this on a PC or Mac, you should be hearing her voice in the background.    For the last seven years of her life, she resided in New York City. She performed in projects and productions with the Amore Opera, her own jazz quintet, Musical Monk, and Airmodular. (You can view and listen to her musical endeavors by clicking on "media gallery."  It takes about five to ten seconds to load).     She also served as a voice and piano teacher for scores of private clients and as an accompanist at Appleseeds , the Village Community School, and the Little Red Schoolhouse. For several years she was the organist at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in East Flatbush.    She kept so busy that her Google calendar resembled a Tetris board. However, she enjoyed life and frequently commented on how all her endeavors never seemed like work to her.    In addition to her artistic talent, Sueyoung will be remembered for her perpetual smile and her kind and positive nature. Those who knew her will always be enriched for having been touched by such a warm and loving soul.    She is survived by her father, her two sisters Hyunju and Jihyun, her brother Jiwon, and her mother, Mal Sun Pak.   P.S. Please note that Legacy.com has finally restored the media gellery. Please be sure to allow 5 to 10 seconds for it load. 

Born: Sep 16, 1974 in Daegu, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province

Died: May 25, 2015 in New York City, NY

Obituary

 If you would like to make a donation in Sueyoung's memory to support Brain Anyeurysim Awareness, please click here.     -----------------------------   We offer our heartfelt condolences to everyone affected by Sueyoung’s passing. We know that grief is perhaps the most intense and painful of human emotions, especially when death comes so suddenly to someone in the prime of her life.     We think first of her parents and siblings. Sueyoung was very close to all her family.  She was a doting aunt and was overjoyed by the imminent arrival of her brother, Jiwon’s, newborn.

We think also of all the children who have been impacted. Most of Sueyoung’s private piano students were children, and she had worked with many of them over a period of years. To her, Jack, Robert, Maddie & Sydney, Bizi and the rest were much more than paying clients.  She was invested in their musical and personal growth and bonded with them and their parents.

We think also of all her friends and colleagues.  Sueyoung made friends easily and worked tirelessly to sustain these relationships. Her circle included her childhood and university friends in Korea, her fellow students at U.N.T, the musicians with whom she collaborated, the students and co-workers at the schools where she worked, and the parishioners at the churches where she served as organist.  Sueyoung also formed meaningful friendships with people from all over the world as a host, traveler and consummate language student.  

We are heartbroken that someone who was living such a full and productive life, and who radiated so much joy, could be taken from us at such a young age.  However, we know that Sueyoung lived a life worth celebrating. We will remember with fondness her bright smile and her warm and loving nature.  We have no doubt that her spirit will live on in the hearts of everyone whom she touched.

A beautiful memorial service was held for her on June 3, 2015 that included touching musical and personal tributes. The service was recorded on video. If you would like to view it, please email us, and we can point you in the right direction. 

We thank everyone who has permitted us to post the pictures and videos you can find here. Feel free to send us your own and to leave a message in the Memory Book.  We'd be very grateful if anyone might have the MP3s that she kept her on her old MySpace page. We'd also love to post any of her sketches if someone might have them. 

May she rest in peace. 

  Click Here to the Mount Kilimanjaro 2017 Climb for Brain Aneurysm Awareness in Honor of Sueyoung Yoo   Click Here to Sueyoung Yoo Memorial Fundraising Page for Brain Aneurysm Awareness    Click Here for List of Organized Walks and Runs for Brain Aneurysm Awareness   Click Here For Pictures Team Sueyoung participating in Team Cindy 5K Run for Brain Aneurysm Research and Awareness (Sep. 17, 2016)   Click here to Appleseds Sueyoung Yoo Scholarship   Click Here to link to poignant Facebok thread   Click here to link to Facebook birthday tribute to Sueyoung    Click here to link to Woodside Herald Obituary   Click here to link to Amore Opera Facebook Tribute