Photo by Xavier Kim

Originally from Bayside, Queens, New York, Alex Yoo (b. 2000) is a Korean-American drummer based in New York City. Equally at home in black-american, experimental, and pop music, he has developed a voice rooted in tradition while remaining open to new musical possibilities.

Yoo began playing drums at the age of seven at his mother's music school before expanding into classical percussion studies at Queens College, where he focused on marimba and timpani. He later attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, studying with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Youth Orchestra, the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance, and the Jazz Standard Youth Orchestra. During this time, he was awarded scholarships to the Brubeck Institute Summer Jazz Colony and the Skidmore Jazz Institute, and was recognized as a YoungArts Merit Winner.

He earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Drum Performance from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Billy Hart and Nasheet Waits while also working closely with Jason Moran, Melissa Aldana, Jason Palmer, and Joe Morris. Their mentorship helped shape Yoo's approach to rhythm, improvisation, and creative expression.

As a performer, Yoo has appeared throughout the United States and internationally, including performances in Seoul, South Korea. He has worked with a variety of artists such as Laura Elliott, WHATMORE, Joo Won Shin, Alfredo Colon, Shunzo Ohno, and Marshall Gilkes. He can also frequently be seen performing with collaborators such as Declan Sheehy-Moss, Miranda Agnew, Katie Webster, Adam Cordero, Theo Rogers and Cooper Malanowski.

Influenced by the rich history of black-american music, as well as classical, folk, and global musical traditions, Yoo believes musicians have a responsibility to care for sound with intention while also extending those traditions into new and unexplored territory. For him, every performance is an opportunity to listen deeply, honor what came before, and contribute something vital to the present moment.