Pianist seeks to inspire

Graduate student Ji-hye Chang is the most recent success story to emerge from the famed School of Music. Chang, who will receive her masters degree in piano performance in May, gave her graduate recital Sunday at Recital Hall. \nThe beginnings from which she pursued her passion make her story unique. Her interest in the piano emerged by accident. \n"One morning I woke up hearing my neighbor playing Beethoven's 'Fur Elise,' and I've been really enthusiastic about the piano ever since," Chang said. \nFrom the beginning, she won regional competitions at the ages of 9, 10 and 11 in her home country of South Korea. It was then that she moved to Seoul with her family to nurture her musical talent. She obtained a full scholarship to attend the art middle school in Seoul. \n"This was when I really started to gain an interest and develop a passion for music," Chang said. \nAfter moving to Seoul, she was greeted by her first big musical achievement: winning the gold medal in a national piano competition where she competed with the best in the nation. \nA full scholarship to the art high school in Seoul helped relieve her parents financially. Practicing six to seven hours daily, she developed herself into a dedicated artist. She entered the instrument department of Seoul National University, again on a full scholarship. Recognizing her as the best pianist in the university, she was sent to the United States for overseas training by the university. It was then that she was introduced to Gyorgy Sebok and his music and decided to study with him at IU. \n"I was fortunate to have the opportunity to audition in front of Sebok," Chang said. \nHe was impressed with her performance and agreed to have her as his student. \nBut transferring to IU and moving to a different country did pose its fair share of challenges for Chang.\n"My first year at the masters program here was the first time that I did not receive a scholarship for my education. I felt guilty for putting my parents under all that financial burden," Chang said. \nShe struggled with an overwhelming amount of schoolwork and a level of English to which she was not accustomed. \n"I did not have too much time to do what I loved, which is to play the piano," Chang said. \nThings took a further plunge when her mentor, Gyorgy Sebok, passed away in the fall of 1999 from cancer.\nIt was soon after that she entered a national piano competition in San Antonio and made it to the second round. \n"Even though this was not a great result I learned from the experience and was motivated by it," Chang said. \nSince her first year at IU she has been on a full scholarship and has served as an accompanist in studios of renowned musicians such as Janos Starker and Franco Gulli. She has performed all over the world, including England and the Caribbean, and has won numerous prizes and awards during the last decade. \nChang said she owes her parents, teachers and friends for everything she has accomplished.\n"I am a pianist because it is something that is meaningful to me. I would really like to educate people about classical music and broaden their horizons," Chang said. "When I perform I want my audience to understand my interpretation of the music that I play and hopefully feel what I feel about the music."\nChang's sister said she has always looked up to her, admiring her dedication to her music.\n"She is very different from other Korean girls because she is very strong and courageous. She has accomplished everything with minimal support," Ji-yeon, Chang's sister, said. \nIn fact, Chang did something that is virtually unheard of in Korea by turning down a marriage proposal to pursue her musical interests. After she is finished with her masters degree, Chang said she hopes to follow it up with doctoral work at the Eastman School of Music in New York.\n"I am really proud of her, and I hope she serves as an inspiration for other poor people who want to study music," Sun-ja Baek, Chang's mother, said.