Choong-Jin (CJ) Chang was appointed to the Peabody Conservatory viola faculty effective September 2013.

A native of Seoul, Korea, Chang was appointed principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra in April 2006 after 12 years as associate principal viola. He made his performance debut as a 12-year-old violinist with the Seoul Philharmonic as winner of the grand prize in Korea’s Yook Young National Competition. In 1981, at the age of 13, he moved to the United States to attend the Juilliard School. He subsequently studied in Philadelphia at the Esther Boyer College of Music of Temple University and then at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he received degrees in both violin and viola. His primary teachers were Jascha Brodsky and Joseph de Pasquale. As a soloist, Ms. Chang made a successful solo debut recital at Carnegie Hall along with numerous recitals in the U.S. and Far East. An ardent chamber musician, he performed in numerous chamber music festivals, including the Marlboro Festival (both in Vermont and several times on tour), Bridgehampton, Seattle, Santa Fe, and Evian and Moritzburg in Europe. The list of distinguished musicians with whom he has collaborated includes André Previn, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Yo-Yo Ma. In 1997, Chang joined violinists Robert Chen and Soovin Kim and cellist Peter Stumpf to found the Johannes Quartet. In addition to his extensive performing activities, Chang is a respected teacher on both violin and viola.