Seung-Won Cho
Director of Choral Activities, Assistant Professor of Music
BMus., M.M., DMA
Dr. Seung-Won Cho serves as Director of Choral Activities at John Brown University, where he conducts the Cathedral Choir, University Chorus, and Community Choir. He also teaches Conducting I & II, Choral Literature, the full Music Theory sequence (Foundations, Intermediate, and Advanced), and the History of Western Music.
He has held faculty appointments at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Virginia Tech, and Cave Spring High School in Virginia. His career further includes extensive service in church music ministry, with leadership roles at Christ Lutheran Church (Austin, TX), First Presbyterian Church (Urbana, IL), and Calvary Baptist Church (Roanoke, VA). Most recently, he served as Director of Music, Senior Organist and Artistic Director of a distinguished concert series at First Methodist Church (Lubbock, TX). A highlight of his ministry was overseeing the tonal design and installation of the world-class Letourneau Op. 135 pipe organ in Lubbock.
A Korean-American choral conductor and organist, Dr. Cho is active as an educator, symphonic chorus master, concert organist, and music minister, performing and teaching in both academic and professional settings. Beyond his responsibilities at JBU, he is frequently invited as a guest conductor, clinician, and lecturer for high school choirs and church choirs.
Dr. Cho is honored to continue the legacy of the JBU Cathedral Choir, an ensemble deeply rooted in the university’s tradition of faith, artistic excellence, and its motto: Christ Over All.
Dr. Cho received his Bachelor of Music in Conducting and Organ with Summa Cum Laude from Yonsei University, Seoul. He also earned his Master of Music in Choral Conducting at The University of Texas at Austin and graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with his Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting and Choral Literature.
He and his wife, Dr. Eun-Young Jung, are blessed with three children and are active members of Siloam Springs Bible Church. He also maintains professional affiliations with the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the American Guild of Organists (AGO).
