Young-Chang CHO was born in Seoul in 1958. He started piano lessons at the age of 5 and three years later began with cello lessons. Young-chang CHO gave his first public performance as a soloist with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of 12. The following year, he went to the United States to study with David Soyer at the Curtis Institute of Music of Philadelphia, and later with Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. In 1980, he continues his studies in Europe with Siegfried PALM and Mstislav ROSTROPOVITCH.

Between 1981 and 1985, Young-Chang CHO won numerous prizes at international competitions, including the “Rostropovitch International Cello Competition” (Paris), “Pablo Casals International Cello Competition” (Budapest) and the “ARD International Cello Competition” (Munich). Also, he received prizes from international competitions for piano trio, in Geneva and Munich together with his two sisters in the Cho Piano Trio.

His musical activities in different parts of the world include solo recitals, chamber music concerts, radio and television appearances, CD recordings and concerts as a soloist with prominent orchestras such as : Washington National Symphony (with M. ROSTROPOVITCH conducting), NHK Symphony in Japan, Sofia Philharmonic in Bulgaria, Teatro Communale Bologna in Italy. Young-Chang CHO has been invited to several international music festivals, including the Kronberg International Cello Festival (1993 - in memory of Pablo CASALS, 1995 - in memory of Emmanuel FEURMANN and Jacqueline DUPRE, 1997 - celebrating 70^th birthday of M. ROSTROPOVITCH), where he gave solo recitals and master classes.
In 1987, Young-Chang CHO was appointed professor at the Folkwang Hochschule für Music in Essen, Germany.