Choi appointed next Dau Professor of Instrumental Music

Dr. Jiwon Choi is pictured last year while accompanying the Tower Choir. (Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)

Dr. Jiwon Choi, Northwest Missouri State University’s staff accompanist in its School of Fine and Performing Arts, has been named the institution’s newest Dennis C. Dau Professor of Instrumental Music.

She was granted the three-year appointment upon a committee’s recommendation and review by the provost.

“Dr. Choi is an integral member and a cornerstone of our music program at Northwest,” Dr. Elise Hepworth, the dean of Northwest’s College of Arts and Sciences, said. “After almost 10 years of unwavering service to the department, program, her colleagues and the music profession, I am delighted that Dr. Choi was selected as the fourth Dennis C. Dau Professor of Instrumental Music.”

Dr. Jiwon Choi

Choi joined the faculty in 2016 and collaborates with the University’s choirs, vocal and instrumental studios, student pianists, music faculty and guest artists.

She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Kansas, where she was a graduate assistant and a faculty member. She received her Master of Music in piano performance at Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and her Bachelor of Music in piano performance at Dong-Ah University in South Korea. 

Choi began playing the piano at age 6, and her performances as a soloist and collaborative pianist have spanned venues throughout the United States, South Korea and Italy.  

Notably, she performed in two concerts last year at Carnegie Hall. Previously, she performed there as a first-prize winner of the 2018 Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition, and she made her debut at the famed concert venue as the first-prize recipient of the 2014 American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music.

In 2021, she earned first prize at the Puerto Rico International Collaborative Piano Competition, and she has been a finalist in the professional division of The American Prize national competition in the performing arts.

“It is a tremendous honor to be named the Dennis C. Dau Professor of Instrumental Music,” Choi said. “This appointment deepens my commitment to inspiring students through impactful musical experiences and creating a supportive, collaborative space that encourages artistic growth at Northwest. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunities this endowment provides — not only to strengthen our music program but to help share the value of what we do with the broader community, region and state. My goal is to continue advancing student-centered education while building meaningful connections between Northwest and the broader musical community through active national and international engagement.”

Northwest announced the founding of the Dau Endowed Professorship in 2017 after receiving a $500,000 cash gift in honor of Dau, a Northwest alumnus and long-time supporter of instrumental music at the University.

As the fourth music faculty member to be named a Dennis C. Dau Professor of Instrumental Music, Choi succeeds past recipients Dr. Katy Strickland, Dr. Robert Pippin and Dr. William Richardson.

An endowed professorship gives special recognition to a faculty member for continued exemplary service to their field, based on outstanding teaching, creative and scholarly activity, and contributions through professional organizations and service beyond the regional level. It recognizes individuals who maintain a high level of productivity and impact during an extended period of time and are considered role models for faculty, staff and students.

Dau, a native of Manning, Iowa, played the snare drum in Northwest’s Bearcat Marching Band and the clarinet in the University’s wind symphony on his way to earning a bachelor’s degree in 1970 and master’s degree in 1971, both in music education. His career as an educator took him to Farragut, Iowa, and then to Maryville High School, where he was a band director from 1979 until his retirement in 1999.

To make a gift in support of the Dennis C. Dau Endowed Professorship in Instrumental Music or for more information about the Northwest Foundation, contact the Office of University Advancement at 660.562.1248 or advance@nwmissouri.edu.