Airman First Class Jin Sook Kwak is a pianist with the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America stationed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. She performs with the Shades of Blue Jazz Band and the Concert Band.
Not only professional jazz and classical pianist but also an engaging accompanist, composer, arranger, and educator, A1C Kwak is a vigorous musician with countless gigs with various types of ensembles. From the solo piano, a duo with vocal, bass or horn, trio, quartet, etc., to big band set, she has proven and shown her outstanding ability to adjust and adopt her sound quickly to the needed style. As a solo pianist, she especially played for Indiana University (IU) President Whitten’s luncheon and many IU foundation and dedication ceremony events. During the 2021/2022 season, she had over one hundred different gigs while teaching twenty-two private students and pursuing her performer diploma at Indiana University. She has appeared as a collaborative pianist with renowned musicians John Raymond, Tom Walsh, Jeremy Allen and Linda Strommen. Her jazz trio was chosen to celebrate the centennial of the IU Jacobs School of Music.
A1C Kwak held two successful recent jazz piano recitals – MM in 2021 and PD in 2022 – including her eight compositions and six arrangements at the IU while teaching three jazz piano classes as an associate instructor with a full scholarship. She has been passionately searching for specific sounds for each composition, all from different themes and messages she wants to convey. Her primary studies were with Luke Gillespie at IU. She has also worked with Dan Haerle, Gabriel Evans, and Pat Coil at the renowned University of North Texas, where she completed a second bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies (piano performance) with four years of music scholarships. Graduating summa cum laude from Kookmin University in Seoul, South Korea, with a degree in music composition, she has developed and wider range of her arranging skills.
EDUCATION
February 2011 Bachelor of Composition in Music (Advanced), KookMin University, Seoul, South Korea – Music Scholarships, Graduated Summa Cum Laude
May 2018 Bachelor of Music in Jazz Piano, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas – Music Scholarships
August 2021 Master of Music in Jazz Piano, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana – Graduate Tuition Award, Artistic Excellence Award, Jacobs Supplemental Award
July 2022 Performer Diploma in Jazz Piano, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana – Graduate Tuition Award
ASSIGNMENTS
May 2025 - July 2025, Basic Military Training, JBSA-Lackland Air Force Base (AFB), Texas
July 2025 – Present: USAF Band of Mid America, Scott AFB, Illinois
MAJOR AWARDS AND DECORATIONS
Air and Space Training Ribbon
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Airman First Class, May 19, 2025
(Current as of August 2025)