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Share The Greater Cincinnati Guitar Society was founded in 1959 by Warren E. Coffey. It is currently headed by Sarah Wilke. The GCGS hosts both internationally-lauded concert artists as well as regional performers. We feature regular meetings for members as well as the Bravo members' guitar ensemble. Charter members included: George J. Marks, R.J. Di Salvo, Juanita Coffey,Dr. Mathias Vega, Wayne Gatwood and Raymond Hopmann. Past Presidents and prime movers of the Society include: Bob Mercer, Garrett Curtis, Judy Handler, Rodney Stucky, Renee Odom, Richard Goering, Amy Brucksch among many others.
Description
Bokyung Byun
“Here is a simple fact: with artistry such as Ms. Byun’s,
the state-of-the-art of guitar performance has reached a new level.”
-Soundboard Magazine
Recipient of the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Bokyung Byun enjoys a reputation as one of the most sought-after guitarists of her generation. Bokyung holds the distinction of being the first female winner of the prestigious JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, where Falletta herself described Bokyung’s performance as "stunning, showcasing her gorgeous tone, immaculate technique, and sophisticated musicianship.” Other recent honors include the grand prize at the 2021 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition and the Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition.
A bevy of orchestras, festivals, workshops, and guitar societies look to Byun for solo performances and masterclasses. In recent seasons, Bokyung has performed as a soloist with orchestras, including the Buffalo Philharmonic, the Utah Symphony, the Brevard Music Center Orchestra, West Los Angeles Symphony, the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, among others. Her solo recital highlights include performances at St. Louis Classical Guitar, Cleveland Classical Guitar Society, John E. Marlow Guitar Series, Toronto Guitar Weekend, and Guitar Montréal. She was acclaimed for performing “eloquently through a diverse and challenging program,” by Michelle Fratus, president of the board of the Knoxville Guitar Society, and having “confidence, passion, excellent projection and great dynamic contrast” by Heather Morand Clark, president of the Guitar Society of Toronto.
Committed to expanding the role of a 21st-century musician, Byun’s concert program often features contemporary music alongside traditional repertoire. As Byun herself says, “it’s vital and exciting to audiences for concerts to join the new with the old. For guitar music to continue to grow, I believe that new works must actively be cultivated in programming, and it is my hope that audiences leave my performances with new experiences.” This skill at navigating both classic repertoire and fresh work has led her to co-found Sounding Board: The New Music Initiative for Guitarists and Composers. The project focuses on promoting collaborative relationships between composers and performers to create new works for guitar, and its inaugural festival in Besançon, France in 2019 has been praised as “extraordinary, in the strict sense of the word,” by La Presse de Gray in France.
Bokyung’s debut recording in 2020 has been praised by Soundboard Magazine as, “a very beautiful disc…We are treated to extraordinary musicianship, technical assurance, and beauty of sound.” In 2022, American Record Guide chose her Naxos Laurate Series recording as the Critics’ Choice Album, remarking her style as “very reminiscent of Andres Segovia.”
Born in Seoul, Korea, Byun began playing guitar at the age of six. At eleven, she took the stage for her first solo recital, leading to an early start in her teen years performing numerous concert tours around Korea, to enthusiastic response, including millions of views on YouTube. By her teen years, she had gained national attention for first-prize finishes in three renowned competitions: the Korea Guitar Association, the Music Association of Korea, and the Guitar Foundation of America International Youth Competition.
Byun soon moved to the United States, where she briefly studied in Los Angeles before moving to New York City, where she entered The Juilliard School at the age of sixteen. She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California. Teachers and mentors include Scott Tennant, William Kanengiser, Chen Zhi, Tae-Soo Kim, and Sharon Isbin.
In 2020, Byun co-founded Guitarlab which has provided an innovative online learning platform offering cutting-edge classes designed for young professionals around the world. Byun is currently on the guitar faculty of University of North Texas. She is an Augustine Strings artist and plays a guitar by Dieter Mueller (2019). Please visit www.bokyungbyun.com for more information.
The concert will be held at the prestigious Wyoming Fine Arts Center, a hub for arts and culture in Wyoming, Ohio. Known for its state-of-the-art facilities and world-class acoustics, the center provides the perfect setting for this grand musical event.
Join us for a night of unforgettable music and experience the beauty and richness of classical guitar as never before. Bokyung Byun's concert promises to be a memorable event, offering a feast for the senses and a celebration of the timeless appeal of classical music.
Date & Time
Sun, Feb 25, 2024 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Venue Details
Wyoming Fine Arts Center
322 Wyoming AvenueWyoming, Ohio 45215
