Unsuk Chin

South Korean composer Unsuk Chin was born in Seoul on 14 July 1961 and taught herself to play piano. She studied composition with Sukhi Kang at Seoul National University and with György Ligeti in Hamburg.

She began her career in Germany as a freelance composer at the Technische Universität Berlin's electronic music studio, achieving international recognition for Acrostic Wordplay, which has been performed in at least twenty countries. In 1994 she began collaborating with Ensemble Intercontemporain, and has been published by Boosey & Hawkes since 1995. Another collaboration with American conductor Kent Nagano has led to six first performances.

Based in Berlin, she has won a series of awards for her music, which has been performed internationally by many high profile musicians and ensembles, and highlighted at various music festivals.