PIANO PROFESSORS/FACULTY MEMBERS
Phillip Kawin (Professor at Manhattan School of Music, New York USA)
Choong Mo Kang (Former Professor at Juilliard School, USA / at Korea National University of Arts, Seoul Korea)
Konrad Engel (Professor at Hanns-Eisler University of Music, Berlin Germany)
Constance Lee (Professor at National Taipei University of Arts, Taipei Taiwan)
Julius Jeongwon Kim (Concert Pianist / Former Professor at Kyunghee University, Seoul Korea)
Hae Jeon Lee (Professor at Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul Korea / Former Faculty at the Juilliard Pre-College, USA)
Hee Sung Joo (Professor at Seoul National University, Seoul Korea)
Jung Won Suh (Director of Music K Academy, Seoul Korea)
Oliver Salonga (Faculty at Soochow University Music of School / at FaceArt Institute of Music, China)Julius Jeongwon Kim (Concert Pianist / Former Professor at Kyunghee University, Seoul Korea)
Hae Jeon Lee (Professor at Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul Korea / Former Faculty at the Juilliard Pre-College, USA)
Hee Sung Joo (Professor at Seoul National University, Seoul Korea)
Jung Won Suh (Director of Music K Academy, Seoul Korea)
PHILLIP KAWIN
Session 1 / Session 2
Teaching Languages English / French
Phillip Kawin has developed a highly individual pedagogical approach that has established him as a much sought after artist-teacher. His concepts have evolved through an eclectic background of training that combines a variety of artistic and esthetic influences. He has created a teaching methodology that presents the principles of technique and musicianship in a detailed analytical approach - an approach that does not ignore the intuitive aspect of music-making.
Mr. Kawin studied with Alfred Cortot's long-time associate Jules Gentil at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, in New York City with Howard Aibel (Rosina Lhevinne's assistant), with John Perry, and later with Dora Zaslavsky (who has studied with Wilhelm Backhaus and Harold Bauer) at Manhattan School of Music.
In 1989, Mr. Kawin was appointed to the college faculty of Manhattan School of Music, where he currently works with a select studio of advanced and highly gifted pupils from diverse corners of the globe. Mr. Kawin's students have won top honors in the Young Concert Artists Auditions as well as in the Martha Argerich International, Jacob Flier International, World Piano, Kosciuszko, Thelonious Monk International (jazz piano), Melilla in Spain, Heida Hermanns, Soulima Stravinsky International, Josef Hofmann, Mieczyslaw Munz, Leschetizky and Long-Thibaud Crespin International Competitions.
Phillip Kawin is in constant demand at premier international conferences and festivals, having given his renowned lectures and insightful master classes in Germany, Russia, Hong Kong, Israel, China, Korea, Taiwan, the U.S., and throughout Australia.
A critic writes: "During these moments, the highest art of piano playing came into view. An image of great pianism not as a demonstration of velocity, or accuracy but great pianism as absolute control of sound. Phillip Kawin leads his students to reach for that sound, a sound that borders on the architectural and the orchestral. Once heard, that sound stays in the ear-hauntingly. When the master calss was over, they are all too rare" (Atlanta Music Teachers Association master class).
For the past 17 years, he has been in residence at the Piano Summer at SUNY New Paltz (New York), an international Institute/Festival, as well as appearing regularly at the Summit Music Festival (New York), the International Academy of Music in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (Italy), the Beijing International Music Festival & Academy (China), and the Euro Music Festival & Academy in Halle (Germany).
Phillip Kawin has been a guest adjudicator for such competitions as the Beethoven International Piano Competition Vienna, Boesendorfer USASU International Piano Competition (four times), Sydney International, and the 6th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians (Suwon, Korea).
He is featured on five DVDs (master classes and lectures) for Excellence in Music, Inc., recorded live at the annual World Piano Pedagogy Conferences.
Phillip Kawin has received critical acclaim for his performances in venues all over the world - from Sydney's Angel Place Recital Hall to Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall which have received critical acclaim. As recitalist and as soloist with orchestra, he has performed throughout Australia, China, Korea, Italy, Russia, Spain, Germany and the U.S.. Phillip Kawin has an exclusive recording contract with the Master Performers Record Label. His debut album featuring works of Beethoven, Schumann, Liszt and Prokofiev was launched at Steinway Hall in New York in 2008, and received with critical acclaim. His all-Schubert CD recorded in June 2014 under the direction of renowned Grammy Award winning producer Steven Epstein, was released in 2015.
Mr. Kawin has given master classes at the Moscow Conservatory, Saint Petersburg State Conservatory, Tel-Hai International Piano Masterclasses, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Seoul National University, Sibelius Academy in Finland, Van Cliburn Piano Institute, DMZ and Busan International Music Festivals in South Korea, Harvard Club in New York, Summit Music Festival, Euro Music Festival & Academy in Halle, Germany among many others.
Phillip Kawin is a Steinway Artist.
菲利普·凯文（Phillip Kawin）高度个性化的钢琴教学方法已经确立了他作为一个非常受欢迎的艺术家和钢琴教育家的地位。他的教学理念来源于他丰富的学习背景，结合了多种钢琴学派的艺术和审美的影响发展而成。他创造的教学方法通过对音乐进行详细分析的做法来解释技巧和音乐中的重要原则，但同时并不忽视音乐中敏锐直觉的重要性。凯文先生曾在巴黎高等师范音乐学院师从朱尔斯·让蒂尔(阿尔弗雷德·科托的助手)，在纽约师从霍华德·艾贝尔（罗西娜·列维涅的助手），约翰·佩里，之后随多拉·扎斯拉夫斯基（威尔海姆·巴克豪斯和哈罗德·鲍尔的学生）在曼哈顿音乐学院学习。凯文先生从1989年开始在曼哈顿音乐学院从事教学工作。他现在所教授的班级是由一批从世界各地通过严格的入学考试而来的有天赋的学生所组成。
凯文先生的学生已经在一系列的重要比赛中获奖。其中包括纽约青年音乐会艺术家比赛，阿格里奇国际钢琴比赛，雅克布·弗里尔国际钢琴比赛，世界钢琴比赛，克修斯可钢琴比赛，蒙克国际钢琴比赛（爵士），西班牙梅利利亚钢琴比赛，海达·赫尔曼斯钢琴比赛，斯特拉文斯基国际钢琴比赛，约瑟夫·霍夫曼钢琴比赛，米尔齐斯拉夫·蒙兹钢琴比赛，莱谢蒂茨基钢琴比赛，玛格丽特隆-蒂伯国际钢琴比赛。菲利普·凯文先生还在许多重要的国际会议和音乐节中举行讲座和教授大师课，包括在俄罗斯，香港，以色列，中国，韩国，台湾，美国和澳大利亚各地。一位乐评写道：“在这些时刻里，我们见到了钢琴演奏的最高艺术。伟大的钢琴演奏不是速度和准确性的演示，而是对声音的随心所欲的控制力。菲利普·凯文引导学生追求那种建筑性的和乐队的音响效果。当找到那样的声音时，那声音停留在脑中让人流连忘返。当大师课结束时，我们的身体感到疲劳，但精神上却受到振奋。那些声音和见解都会在脑中持续很久，因为他们都太罕见了。”（亚特兰大音乐教师协会大师班）在过去的17年里，他一直任教于纽约新帕尔茨 “钢琴之夏”音乐节，并长期在纽约萨米特音乐节，意大利卡斯德尔诺-加尔法尼亚纳国际音乐学院，和中国北京国际音乐节暨学院中进行教学工作。凯文先生还在许多国际钢琴比赛中担任评委，包括维也纳贝多芬国际钢琴比赛，贝森多夫USASU国际钢琴比赛，悉尼国际钢琴比赛，以及第六届青年柴可夫斯基国际钢琴比赛。此外他的讲座和大师课还出现在卓越音乐的五张现场录制于世界钢琴教学大会的DVD中。
菲利普·凯文先生在世界各地的演出获得了许多乐评的赞扬，从悉尼的天使广场演奏厅到北京的中山音乐堂。一则乐评中写道：“… 凯文出来演奏普罗科菲耶夫降B大调第7号奏鸣曲，不像任何其他演奏此曲的钢琴家或作曲家本人。凯文塑造性的触键中并没有与普罗科菲耶夫的钢琴乐谱通常有关联的打击性、有棱角的声音，反而放射出一种迷人的力量，逐渐演变成魔鬼般的神秘效果。”他曾在澳大利亚，中国，韩国，意大利，俄罗斯，西班牙和美国演奏独奏音乐会以及与乐团合奏演奏协奏曲。此外他与Master Performers唱片公司签有独家录音合同。他的首张专辑2008年在纽约斯坦威音乐厅发行，由贝多芬，舒曼，李斯特和普罗科菲耶夫的作品所组成，收到了乐评的好评。他全舒伯特作品的专辑于2014年6月录制完成，由著名的音乐制作人、格莱美奖获得者史蒂芬·艾普斯坦监制，已于2015年夏天发行。
凯文先生曾在莫斯科音乐学院，圣彼得堡音乐学院，泰尔-海国际钢琴大师班，上海音乐学院，首尔大学，范·克莱本钢琴学院和其他许多场合教授大师课。最近，他在DMZ和韩国釜山国际音乐节，纽约哈佛俱乐部，萨米特音乐节举行大师班；并通过远程教学系统在芬兰西贝柳斯音乐学院授课。
菲利普·凯文先生是施坦威艺术家。
CHOONG-MO KANG
Session 1 / Session 2
Teaching Languages Korean / English
The Korean-born pianist, Choong-Mo Kang, is a graduate of Seoul National University. He received his master's degree from the San Francisco Conservatory and his Artist's Diploma from Peabody Conservatory. While pursuing his DMA degree at Peabody Conservatory, he was appointed as a member of the Peabody piano faculty. He is the winner of Dong-A Competition in Korea, the Pacific International Piano Competition, the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition, the Louise D. McMahan International Music Competition.
He has appeared throughout the USA, Japan and Korea as a soloist and recitalist. He has won plaudits from critics around the world for his acclaimed performances with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra as well as Korea's leading orchestras. His poetic intensity and confident simplicity of true talent captured the audiences in his performances at the Carnegie Hall, the Opera House in Sydney, London and Oxford.
His honorary performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Russia's revered pianist Tatiana Nikolayeva's death received an astounding reception.
Few undertakings are as stirring as pianist Choong-Mo Kang's five-year endeavor to master and perform J. S. Bach's entire works for the keyboard. His startlingly original and audacious attempt is the musical embodiment of genius and undoubtedly an asset to western classical music. His utter absorption in the task of musical expression and his rethinking of J. S. Bach is an unquestionable icon of classical music. It is an emblem of uncompromising musical integrity and none would dispute such designation. His recordings include J. S. Bach's Goldberg Variations (BWV 988), Inventions and Sinfonias (BWV 772 - 801) and The Well-Tempered Clavier.
The great pianist and conductor Leon Fleisher has claimend Kang's Goldberg Variations as "A quite spectacular performance. A notable addition to the 'Goldberg' discography."
His other recordings include some of Haydn piano sonatas and Mozart's piano sonatas, Rachmaninov's four hands music with his wife Hae-Jeon Lee, Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto wit the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rhapsody on the theme o Paganini with the Czech National Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1993, Choong-Mo Kang returned to his native Korea to serve as an eminent faculty member of the Korean National University of Arts where he had trained and cultivated young talented pianists who have won many international competitions.
His former and present students have won prizes in such competitions like Van Cliburn, Gina Bachauer, Chopin Competitions in Tokyo and Moscow, Porto, Jeunesses Musicales, Epinal.
He was also an artistic director of the Euro Music Festival and Academy in Leipzig as well as a faculty member of the Ishikawa Music Festival in Japan.
His other recordings include some of Haydn piano sonatas and Mozart's piano sonatas, Rachmaninov's four hands music with his wife Hae-Jeon Lee, Rachmaninov's 3rd piano concerto wit the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rhapsody on the theme o Paganini with the Czech National Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 1993, Choong-Mo Kang returned to his native Korea to serve as an eminent faculty member of the Korean National University of Arts where he had trained and cultivated young talented pianists who have won many international competitions.
His former and present students have won prizes in such competitions like Van Cliburn, Gina Bachauer, Chopin Competitions in Tokyo and Moscow, Porto, Jeunesses Musicales, Epinal.
He was also an artistic director of the Euro Music Festival and Academy in Leipzig as well as a faculty member of the Ishikawa Music Festival in Japan.
JULIUS-JEONGWON KIM
Session 1 / Session 2
Teaching Languages Korean / German / English
Julius-Jeongwon Kim is commonly recognized as Korea's best pianist of the current generation. He has received praise for his poetic sensitivity and energetic display of emotions; his versatile career has led to acclaimed performances on stages worldwide.
Having been recognized as a child prodigy in his early days, he won first prizes at the Maria Canals International Piano Competition, the Boesendorfer International Piano Competition, and the Elena Rombro Stepanow International Piano Competition. Moreover, he won various prizes at several other international competitions.
Since 1999, Julius-Jeongwon Kim has consistently been performing with world-renowned orchestras such as the London Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Czech Philharmonic, NDR Symphony Germany, Nuernberg Symphony, Budapest Philharmonic, Prague Radio Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Danish National Radio Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic, KBS Symphony, Nagoya Philharmonic, Warszawa Radio Symphony, etc..
Notable performances as a soloist took place at venues such as the International Chopin Festival in Warsaw organized by the Polish Chopin Association; the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw hosted by the Penderecki Association; the International Music Festival in Ceski Krumlov; the Ludwig van Beethoven Music Festival in Teplice in the Czech Republic; the Verbier Festival in Switzerland and the International Piano Echos Festival in Italy. Furthermore, he performed in front of Vaclav Klaus, former president of the Czech Republic who personally honored the artist with a plaque of appreciation, while former U.S. President George W. Bush praised Kim's performance as "very moving". Most recently in 2018, he was invited to perform in front of the leaders of both countries when South Korea's president Moon Jae-In visited Russia and met President Putin.
Julius-Jeongwon Kim has also been invited to the final performance at the Seoul International Music Festival where he premiered Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 5 (arrangement of the composer's Symphony No. 2 by A. Warenberg.).
As an avid performer of chamber music, Julius-Jeongwon Kim captured audiences, playing alongside cellists Mischa Maisky, Young-Chang Cho, Li-Wei Qin, pianist Peter Jablonski and violinist Chee-Yun. Also, he has earned favorable reviews in the musical world, at home as well as abroad, ever since he formed the MIK ensemble with violinist Soovin Kim, cellist Young Song and violist Sang-Jin Kim in 2003.
A very different endeavor was marked by a special appearance in the Korean blockbuster movie "For Horowitz (2006)", which tells the story of a piano prodigy; Kim performed Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in this movie. Apart from that, he has shaken the Korean classical music scene by attracting large crowds during his annual nationwide tours (12 to 15 cities) since 2007.
Julius-Jeongwon Kim also succeeded in Japan, touring seven Japanese cities in 2011.
He has played 21 complete Schubert Piano Sonatas, six of which were recorded and released by Deutsche Grammophon. Previously, he had released more than 10 albums of solo works, concertos and chamber music pieces; examples include Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 5 or Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the London Symphony Orchestra produced by Deutsche Grammophon; Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 produced by EMI; Chopin's 24 Etudes, Rachmaninov's Piano Sonata No. 2 and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition in 2017.
Julius-Jeongwon Kim was musicial director of NAVER's "V Salon Concert" and is artist-in-residence at Sejong Art Center and Lotte Concert Hall.
KONRAD ENGEL
Session 1 / Session 2
Teaching Languages English / German
Konrad Engel is an internationally renowned concert pianist, chamber musician and piano professor. He had taught piano at the Hanover Unversity for Music since 2007 until 2016. From January 2017, he was appointed a Professor for Piano at the Hanns-Eisler University of Music in Berlin, Germany.
Born in 1977 near Frankfurt, he received his first piano lesson at the age of six. Three years later he gave his first recital, and at the age of eleven, he had his debut as a soloist with orchestra. During his youth he won six first prizes and a special prize for the interpretation of a contemporary work at National German Youth Competitions. In 1994, he was one of the youngest students ever to be awarded the German National Scholarship.
He began his university studies with Prof. Karl Heinz Kaemmerling in 1996 and, after his pedagogical and artistic diplomas, he passed the examinations as a concert soloist with distinction at the Hanover University of Music in 2006. He has participated in international masterclasses like Wilhelm-Kempff-Academy in Positatno with Prof. John O'Conor. Further studies in solo and chamber music with Prof. Bernhard Wetz, Gerhard Schroth (both in Frankfurt), Prof. Guenter Ludwig (Cologne), Prof. Wolfgang Boettcher, Pro. Antje Weithaas (both in Berlin) and Prof. Markus Becker (Hanover).
During his studies he won numerous awards such as two first prizes at the international piano competitions - 'Virtuosi per Musica di Pianoforte' and 'Chopin Society Hanover'.
At the International Bach Competition in Leipzig, he was given the medal for reaching the final round of only six pianists and he successfully reached the semifinals at 2003 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. He was also recognized by the German Music Competition in both categories of Piano Solo and Chamber Music.
Konrad Engel has performed in the USA, Japan and throughout Europe. His recitals at the 'Bayreuther Festspiele' and the 'Rheingau Music Festival' are among many that have been highly praised by the press. He has appeared with renowned orchestras such as the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, the South German Philharmonic Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra Frankfurt and more. After 15 years of playing in numerous ensembles, he has established an outstanding reputation as a chamber musician.
Teaching has long been one of his passions. The systematic and methodic experiences he gained during his studies with Prof. Karl Heinz Kaemmerling, combined with his engagement in psychological and physiological issue, are coming to fruition in his work as a music pedagogue.
Since 2007, he is also working as the music director and conductor of two chamber orchestras in Hanover.
CONSTANCE LEE
Teaching Languages English / French / German / Chinese
A leading Taiwanese pianist and professor, Constance Lee was one of the young prodigies, who at the age of 13, after winning the National Young Music Talent Competition, was sent to Austria and was accepted by the Vienna University of Music and Drama, where she studied with prominent Professors Dieter Weber and Hans Graf until obtaining her Concert Soloist Diploma with Honor.
During her studies she also received an "Artist of Outstanding Merit" Award from the Austrian Ministry of Culture. Her pianistic development was highlighted by several Masterclasses with Russian pianist Stanislav Neuhaus, and she was selected by German Maestro Wilhelm Kempff to study in his Beethoven interpretation course. She also spent a year in London to study with Georgian pianist Alissa Kezeradze.
Constance Lee started her career in Canada, where she was invited as "resident artist" at the Quebec Music Academy. She played in a Beethoven Soiree for Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, performed in Quebec Ministry of Culture's World Peace Cultural Week and played in the Canadian National Film Board's music documentary, which was filmed in Moscow and presented in the Montreal International Film Festival.
At the age of 27, she became Professor at the Taipei National University of the Arts and actively pursued her career. She has given numerous solo recitals, performed with many well-known musicians in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, China, Austria, France, Canada, the USA and played with orchestras such as the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Taipei City Orchestra and the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. She has also taken part in the Macau Music Festival, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Asia Pacific Art Festival, the Kuan-Du Art Festival and the Taiwan International Piano Festival.
A versatile and multi-faceted artist, Constance Lee also explored the new performing arts scene by creating with other artists an experimental music-theatre production entitled "The Outrageous Essays by Three Outspoken Women" and a music-dance performance named after Scriabin's "Desir et Danse". She also collaborated with the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Company and Taiwan Cloud Gate Dance Company to play Stravinsky's two-piano version of the "Rite of Spring".
Over the years Constance Lee has taught many award-winning students, she has been invited as a Jury Member at International and National Music Competitions. She is an artistic advisor of the National Culture & Arts Foundation and the National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center.
This year she released a deeply-moving album of her own improvisations which were recorded for internationally acclaimed Taiwanese film director Hou Hsiao-hsien's movies "Three Times" and "Le Voyage du Ballon Rouge".
During her studies she also received an "Artist of Outstanding Merit" Award from the Austrian Ministry of Culture. Her pianistic development was highlighted by several Masterclasses with Russian pianist Stanislav Neuhaus, and she was selected by German Maestro Wilhelm Kempff to study in his Beethoven interpretation course. She also spent a year in London to study with Georgian pianist Alissa Kezeradze.
Constance Lee started her career in Canada, where she was invited as "resident artist" at the Quebec Music Academy. She played in a Beethoven Soiree for Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, performed in Quebec Ministry of Culture's World Peace Cultural Week and played in the Canadian National Film Board's music documentary, which was filmed in Moscow and presented in the Montreal International Film Festival.
At the age of 27, she became Professor at the Taipei National University of the Arts and actively pursued her career. She has given numerous solo recitals, performed with many well-known musicians in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, China, Austria, France, Canada, the USA and played with orchestras such as the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Taipei City Orchestra and the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. She has also taken part in the Macau Music Festival, the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Asia Pacific Art Festival, the Kuan-Du Art Festival and the Taiwan International Piano Festival.
A versatile and multi-faceted artist, Constance Lee also explored the new performing arts scene by creating with other artists an experimental music-theatre production entitled "The Outrageous Essays by Three Outspoken Women" and a music-dance performance named after Scriabin's "Desir et Danse". She also collaborated with the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Company and Taiwan Cloud Gate Dance Company to play Stravinsky's two-piano version of the "Rite of Spring".
Over the years Constance Lee has taught many award-winning students, she has been invited as a Jury Member at International and National Music Competitions. She is an artistic advisor of the National Culture & Arts Foundation and the National Chiang Kai-shek Cultural Center.
This year she released a deeply-moving album of her own improvisations which were recorded for internationally acclaimed Taiwanese film director Hou Hsiao-hsien's movies "Three Times" and "Le Voyage du Ballon Rouge".
HAE-JEON LEE
Teaching Languages English / Korean
Pianist Hae Jeon Lee started playing the piano at the age 5. Since her debut with the Korean National Symphony Orchestra at the age 12, she has won many awards and competitions.
After graduating from the Seoul National University with the highest honors, she received her master's degree with "Distinction in Performance" from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She continued her studies at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she achieved her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree.
Her performing career includes solo appearances with many leading orchestras such as the Hungary Szeged Orchestra, Sofia Chamber Orchestra, Korean Broadcasting Symphony, Seoul Chamber Orchestra and Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra.
She has appeared as a recitalist in various venues including the Amsterdam Concertgebow Hall and the Sydney Opera House. As a recording artists, Hae-Jeon Lee has recorded solo works by Liszt and Beethoven as well as various pieces for four hands and two piano works wth her husband Choong-Mo Kang. She has been asked to record for the "Korean Musician's Series" sponsored by the Korean Broadcasting Station.
In 2014, she had been on the piano faculty at the Juilliard Pre-College while taking a temporary leave from the Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul.
Currently, Professor Lee is on the piano faculty at the Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul, Korea.
HEE SUNG JOO
Session 1
Teaching Languages English / Korean
The Korean pianist, Hee Sung Joo, first came to international attention
of the winning the first prize in the Dudley International Piano Competition in
England in 1995. Chosen from more than
60 pianists, Ms. Joo subsequently gave her London debut in 1996 in the Royal
Festival Hall. After the recital, critic Geoffrey Crankshaw wrote in the
British Quarterly, Musical Opinion :
“ A fresh talent of high promise came into view at The Purcell Room when Hee Sung Joo, the winner of the 1995 Dudley International Piano Competition, gave her Prize Winner’s recital. From the first bars of Bach, one recognized an artist of genuine stature, someone with something to say, and the ability to say it! A sure sense of style, backed with a truly formidable technique enabled this young artist to take us to the heart of each composer. This was no routine obeisance, but rather a sense of affirmations. I eagerly look forward to hearing this vital talent again.”
Following her success in England where she
concertized extensively, Ms Joo went on to become a prizewinner in the U.S. at
the Wideman Piano Competition, as well as earning distinctions in both the
Cleveland International Piano Competition and the William Kapell International
Piano Competition in Baltimore where she won Nancy W. Miller Memorial prize in
1996.
After
Ms. Joo took the first place in the 2002 New Orleans International Piano
Competition, she made several appearances in the New Orleans area including
recitals and performances with Louisiana Philharmonic and Acadiana Symphony
Orchestras. Other U.S. appearances have included recitals in Jordan Hall
(Boston), the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, French Library, Harvard Musical
Association Hall, Wesleyan College Crowell Concert Hall, and Loyola University.
She also had two feature recitals in Connecticut as the first prize winner of
Simone Belsky Music Award in 1999.
A
native of Seoul, Hee Sung Joo, began
piano studies at age of 5. She graduated Seoul High School of Arts and received
her bachelor degree at Seoul National University before she started to study at
New England Conservatory of Music in U. S.
Winner of the first prizes in the two major piano competitions in Korea,
the Dong-A Music Competition and the Hankuk Journals Music Competition, Ms Joo
made her debut with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra in 1990.
Since she got the full-time teaching
position at Seoul National University in 2003, she gave recitals at Berlin
Philharmonie in Germany, Seoul Arts Center, and Hoam Art Hall and Kumho Art
Hall in Seoul as well as a number of appearances as soloists with many
orchestras including Korean Symphony, Bucheon Philharmonic, Busan Philaharmonic
and Daegu Symphony. She recorded Chopin’s
four ballards and mazurkas for the Korean Broadcasting System FM radio as one
of the concert series of 200th Anniversary of Chopin’s
Birth in 2010. She was invited as a visiting scholar by Indiana University
Jacobs School of Music and gave her recital at the Auer Hall in her sabbatical
year, 2011. After come back to Korea, she again gave her recital at Berlin
Philharmonie hosted by Interclassic Management and was invited as a soloist
with KBS Symphony orchestra at Seoul Arts Center Saturday Concert series and
also performed with SNU Symphony Orchestra at the same venue. Recently, she
recorded Beethoven’s Piano Sonatas including the “Hammerklavier”
Sonata and released the CD labeled by NCM Klassik. She is also enthusiastic
about chamber music playing and gave numerous concerts with many international
musicians and ensemble teams like, Nobuko Imai, Philippe Muller, Hsin-Yun
Huang, James Buswell, Laurence Lesser, Nicholas Kitchen, Aulos Wind Ensemble,
Seoul Chamber Music Society, and Charity Chamber. Also she is a member of Tonus
Trio and gives regular chamber concerts as a member of Tonus Trio. She also has numerous performances and gave
masterclasses at many international music festivals including Beijing, Berlin,
Amalfi Coast, Cincinnati, Taipei, Busan, Tong-Young, and Jirisan.
She is now teaching as a professor
of the Piano Department, College of Music at Seoul National University in
Korea.
OLIVER SALONGA
Session 2
Teaching Languages English
Praised for his emotional energy and technical finesse, Dr. Oliver Salonga has performed in the concert halls of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, Australia, and China.
He collaborated with prominent musicians, such as conductors Albert Georg Schram, George Ellis, Arturo Molina, and Ruggiero Barbieri. He also appeared at music festivals like Neuberg an der Donau Music Festival in Germany, Athenaeum Piano Festival in Italy, JFJC Music Institute Festival in Philippines, EuroArts Academy Winter Festival in Korea and FAIM Summer Festival in China. His performances were radio broadcasted And live streamed at WLHH 104.9, WXEL 90.7, DZFE 98.7 and Dulwich College, UK. Recently, with Korean pianist, Dr. Heeseung Lee, they formed a piano duo ensemble, “Duo Bravura”, to promote two-piano works of 21st century composers.
Salonga is the Gold Medal winner of the 2008 Jeonju International Piano Competition in South Korea. He has also won the Zellen Piano Prize at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has gained accolades from Hilton Head International Piano Competition, Florida International Piano Competition, and Scottish International Piano Competition.
Oliver Salonga received his Artist Diploma and Master of Music in Piano Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He also received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance with minors in Theory and Analysis, Arts Management, and Collaborative Arts from the University of Southern California where he held the Sylvia Grancell Award for his entire doctoral residency. Oliver has received guidance from outstanding pianists, such as Dr. Angela Cholakian, Jerome Lowenthal, Robert McDonald, Sergei Babayan, Alexei Kornienko, Dr. Roberta Rust, Norman Krieger, Daniel Pollack, and Antonio Pompa-Baldi.
He is holding teaching positions in piano at Soochow University Conservatory of Music and at FaceArt Institute of Music in China. His students have won first prizes in New York International Music Competition, Paris and London Grand Prize, China International Franz Liszt Competition, Singapore International Youth Competition and Hong Kong International Competition. His students have been admitted to some of the finest musical institutions such as the Juilliard School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy in the United States. Dr. Oliver Salonga embraces the Russian School of Piano Performance Tradition.
Oliver Salonga regularly holds masterclasses in Asia, among them at China’s Ernst Piano Foundation Masterclasses Series, Korea’s EuroArts Academy Winter Festival, Thailand’s Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music and Yamaha Music Academy, Singapore’s Yong Siew Toh Consevatory of Music and Tanglewood Music School, UAE’s Dubai Piano Institute and British School AbuDhabi, Philippines’ University of the Philippines, University of Sto. Tomas, Philippine High School for the Arts and Cultural Center of the Philippines. He has also given lectures and teaching workshops about “Shaping Artistic Individuality and Creating Sound World".
