S. Edelweiss Hong Graduate Student: Musicology

I am a PhD candidate specializing in film and television music. I believe that film remains one of our most powerful and communicative media, and exploring the way in which music contributes to that power is a great passion of mine. I’m especially interested in the relationship between plot and scoring across the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)—the interconnected worlds within the superhero films by Marvel Studios. In my dissertation, I showcase the MCU as a platform for profound expression through music, demonstrating how Marvel Studios’ composers and the sound/music departments maintain musical continuity across its expansive cinematic landscape. Particularly, I am drawn to the music accompanying complex anti-hero characters, such as the Winter Soldier, Black Widow, and the Scarlet Witch, which delve into their inner conflicts and redemption journeys and emphasize the transformation of the characters’ personal musical motives.

As a pianist, I have performed in masterclasses, festivals, solo recitals, and chamber concerts in the United States, Spain, South Korea, Italy, France, and Mexico. I hold a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Professional Studies degrees in Classical Piano Performance from Manhattan School of Music, and a Master of Arts from Aaron Copland School of Music, CUNY Queens College.

2019 Steinway Hall, NYC

2007 Coex Hall, Seoul, Korea

2005, 2006 Weill Recital Hall at the Carnegie Hall, NYC


2020 Albert Burnett Memorial Award, Aaron Copland School of Music, CUNY Queens College

2020 Edward R. Lerner Fellowship, Aaron Copland School of Music, CUNY Queens College

2018, 2019 Beatrice Schacher-Myers Award, Aaron Copland School of Music, CUNY Queens College

2005, 2006 First Prize, Piano Teacher’s Society of America Competition

2005 First Prize, Ruth Slenczynska Piano Competition


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