“Here’s a talent to watch, and an album to admire.”
- All About Jazz
Hailing from South Korea and now based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Seulah Noh is a pianist, composer, and conductor whose work bridges classical, jazz, and orchestral traditions. Her music is distinguished by its expansive orchestration, contemporary jazz language, and a deep sensitivity to color and texture.
Her debut album, NOhMAD (2023), received widespread critical acclaim. All About Jazz praised Noh’s ability to create “sophisticated and sometimes daring portraits in sound,” while The Jazz Word described her writing as '“a meeting point between Pat Metheny’s modern jazz textures and the layered sophistication of Maria Schneider’s big band sound.”. Paris Move named her “a name to watch for in the years to come.”
Written for her 21-piece Seulah Noh Jazz Orchestra, NOhMAD expands the traditional big band format by incorporating a string quartet, drawing on Noh’s classical background to create a soundscape that moves fluidly between contemporary jazz, fusion, and orchestral music.
Noh’s work has brought her into collaboration with many artists including Kurt Elling, Mike Rodriguez, Andrew Bishop and Mike Rodriguez and Rosana Eckert. Her compositions have received recognition from the Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra’s annual composition contest and the DownBeat Student Music Awards, and have been performed by ensembles around the world, including the University of Michigan, Iowa State University, and Keio University in Japan. She has also received commissions from ensembles and institutions including the University of Michigan and Yakima Valley College.
Mentorship and education are central to Noh’s artistic practice. Alongside her work with collegiate ensembles as a guest artist and composer, she has served as a composition mentor for students under 18 through the Contemporary Youth Orchestra in Cleveland, with a particular focus on chamber ensemble writing. Her commitment to mentoring emerging musicians reflects her broader interest in creating spaces where young composers can develop their own voices.
Noh continues to lead the Seulah Noh Jazz Orchestra in performances across the United States, with appearances at venues and festivals including the Korean Cultural Center New York, the Western Michigan Jazz Society Summer Series, and the Michigan Jazz Festival.
Noh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Classical Piano Performance from Ewha Womans University, a second Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Performance and Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music, and a Master’s degree in Jazz Composition from New England Conservatory.
Noh was recently selected as the winner of the 11th George Duke Commissioning Prize. As part of the award, she will compose a new work to be premiered by the 68-piece Symphonic Jazz Orchestra in concert. The composition will also become part of the organization’s catalog of symphonic jazz commissions.