Performers 2023-2024
Dallas Asian Winds – Flute ensemble, Jeong Lee - leader
Part of the Dallas Asian Winds, Founder and conductor, Jung Moo Lee. In 2018, Jung Moo brought together some of his friends to start an ensemble that is primarily made up of Asians musicians and one that will promote and progress pieces written in Asia or by Asian composers. Jeong Lee is the leader of the flute section, who also perform as a group.
Dallas Harp Society: Margaret Anne Gunter, harp
Margaret Anne Gunter is a national award-winning harpist with a passion for collaboration. Driven by enthusiasm and hard work, she left her hometown of Opelika, Alabama to attend the University of North Texas. She is in her third year of undergraduate study in Harp Performance and is a student of Dr. Jaymee Haefner at UNT and Judy Sullivan Hicks, principal harpist of the Alabama Symphony. With a growing passion for serving others through music, she cherishes the opportunity to study harp at the collegiate level.
Margaret Anne’s dedication to excellence and professionalism has led to many opportunities at the collegiate level. As a freshman, she joined Maestro David Itkin and UNT’s Symphony Orchestra for their production of Verdi’s Otello, played in the pit orchestra for Benjamin Britten’s stunning opera, The Rape of Lucretia, and pioneered the harp position in Professor Scott Tixier’s Jazz Strings Lab. Her second year was spent with the renowned UNT Wind Symphony under the baton of Eugene Corporon. Continually inspired by her peers in the Wind Symphony, she enjoyed many notable performances which included accompanying famed percussion soloist Dame Evelyn Glennie before an audience of thousands at the 2023 Texas Music Educators Association Convention. Margaret Anne enjoys multifaceted involvement in the College of Music, serving as an official College Ambassador, a student representative for the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, and social media manager for the UNT harp studio. Throughout these varied experiences, Margaret Anne’s primary realization has been her desire to collaborate with and for others.
Anne garners just as much excitement from playing in front of the orchestra as she does in the back. In the summer of 2022, she attended the Sewanee Summer Music Festival where she gave a solo concerto performance as winner of the Jacqueline Avent Concerto Competition. Since that time, she has been a finalist in the 2023 Lewisville Lake International Competition for Strings and Harp and winner of the 2023 UNT Concerto Competition, culminating in a performance of Pierné’s Concertstück with the UNT Concert Orchestra. Margaret Anne competed at the American Harp Society National Competition in Los Angeles, California, where in June of 2023 she won First Prize in the Advanced Division.
Her choice to perform for the AHS Winners’ Recital Every Lover is a Warrior (2006) by Kati Agócs reflects her love for promoting works by living composers. The inaccessibility and rarity of the harp is at the forefront of Margaret Anne’s efforts to work with composers. At UNT and Sewanee she has enjoyed volunteering her time to assist others in learning to write for the harp and in premiering new works. Also fundamental to her performance philosophy is the idea that each performance is a gift to the audience; thus, the program of hymns for the local senior center is equally as important as a virtuosic solo performance.
Taking the advice “every performance is an audition” to heart, it has been Margaret Anne’s longtime ambition to be a harpist with one of the US Armed Forces Bands, a position that would combine her passion for service, resilient attitude, and professional skills. Until then, Margaret Anne continues to take every opportunity to better herself as a musician so that she is best equipped to serve others.
Eunae Lee, piano
At the age of 16, Eunae traveled to the United States on a full scholarship to Juilliard Pre-college division. After finishing her joint undergraduate and master’s program at Juilliard under the tutelage of the late Martin Canin, Eunae furthered her studies with the legendary pianist Richard Goode, at the Mannes School. Thereafter, driven by her passion for artistic and scholarly growth as a pianist, Eunae obtained her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Northwestern University, under the guidance of James Giles.
Eunae is a laureate of numerous international piano competitions including: ARD International Music Competition, Bosendorfer International Piano Competition, Hilton Head International Piano Competition, and many more. She was a finalist in a recent Cliburn Competition in Fort Worth.
Helen Haeun Kim, flute
Helen Haeun Kim is a flutist and music educator in Dallas, Texas and plays with the Dallas Asian Winds Ensemble. Her performances appeared on premier venues such as London’s Royal Albert Hall, BBC Radio 3 & 4, TBN UK, and Prague’s Církev československá husitská. She actively performs with the Kim Quartet, the chamber ensemble comprised of her musician siblings. Ms. Kim is a music faculty at Dallas College, teaching music appreciation and flute lessons. She also works as a site leader and woodwind teaching artist for Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Young Musicians Program. She is also a children's music director at First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. Ms. Kim serves on the board of directors of the Texas Flute Society. She also works as a flute instructor at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. In 2022, Ms. Kim joined the DalAsian Flute Choir and performed at the National Flute Association Conference.
Ms. Kim has won numerous competitions and auditions: Carolina Band Festival, Dallas Symphony Festival, Raleigh Area Flute Association Competitions, Raleigh Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, and many more. Ms. Kim has also appeared as a soloist with the Carolina Philharmonic and the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Kim studied flute performance under Tadeu Coelho and Nicolas Duchamp at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she obtained her Bachelor of Music and her further flute/piccolo studies were taken in London under William Bennett, Kate Hill, and Patricia Morris at the Royal Academy of Music, University of London, where obtained her Master of Music.
Hyeyeon Kim, flute
Hyeyeon Kim is a passionate performer and educator in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. She has performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player in the United States and South Korea and plays with the Dallas Asian Winds Ensemble. Ms. Kim serves as a Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas as well as a flute instructor in Denton ISD. As a soloist, she performed ‘Sonata Rubata’ by Steven Harlos as a flutist, piccoloist, and alto flutist in Dr.Harlos’ recital in 2023. Previously she was selected as featured soloist for the Excellent Freshman Concert at Inje University in 2013 and the Busan Young Artist Festival Concerto Concert in 2017. Also, she had an International Chamber Series Concert as a Flute and Harp Duo, supported by Louisville Lake Symphony with a harpist Paulina Delgadillo in 2021. Ms. Kim has performed extensively in chamber and large ensemble settings as a member of Dallas Asian Wind and Inje Flute Ensemble. She has been a winner the 2020 University of North Texas Concerto Competition, as well as Flute Association Competition and Korea Music Art Association Competition in South Korea.
Originally from South Korea, Ms. Kim began studying flute as a child. She received her Bachelor of Music in flute performance from Inje University under Shinjung Oh in 2017. In 2020, she earned a Performance Diploma of music in flute from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University under Thomas Robertello. She also received a Master of Music degree in the flute performance at the University of North Texas College of Music in 2022, and she is now pursuing her Doctoral of Music degree in flute performance at UNT, studying with Dr. Mary Karen Clardy. She has performed in masterclasses for Barhold Kuijken, Mathieu Dufour, Jim Walker, Bradley Garner, Han Guoliang, Susan Milan, and Mark Sparks.
Hyunsu Yoon, flute
Hyunsu Yoon was born in a small town in South Africa called Ladybrand, just across the border of Lesotho. He is a flute player currently working on the DMA program at the University of North Texas. He has traveled and lived in many countries where he enjoys having experienced a wide range of cultures, academic curricula, and music.
Hyunsu has performed on various stages in the US and internationally and plays with the Dallas Asian Winds Ensemble. He was a finalist in a number of competitions including the Young Texas Artist competition, Rosen-Schaffel Competition, UNCSA Fall Concerti Competition, Rafa Artist Competition, Raleigh Symphony Orchestra competition, SEMFA Young Artist Competition, and the Osaka International competition. As much as he enjoys performing solo recitals, he also takes part in chamber ensembles and loves to experiment with other musicians. His experience in chamber setting with the Woodwind Quintet at the Eastern Music Festival and the Chrysalis Wind Quintet (UNCSA). The Chrysalis Wind Quintet were active in sharing the music with the community and participating in competitions, which advanced to the Division level of the MTNA chamber competition. Most recent performances include premiering Modes & Moods by Mehran Rouhani and performing Transverses for flute choir by Judy Nishimura in 2023 at NFA Phoenix, as a member of Dal-Asian Flute Choir. He is grateful to her former teachers, who include Amy Porter, Dr. Erika Boysen, Dr. Tadeu Coelho, Dr. Mary Karen Clardy, and Hiroshi Matsushima.
Ivo Ivanov, violin
Ivo Ivanov, violinist, has been a full-time member of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra since 1997. He was born in Rousse, Bulgaria where he began to study violin at age of 6 with Anelia Popova. He earned his Bachelor’s degree from the State Academy of Music in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he studied violin with Georgi Badev, Chamber Music with Vladimir Avramov and Orchestral Studies with Alipi Naydenov.
Soon after his graduation, he joined the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra where he worked for two consecutive seasons before moving to the United States where he studied at Southern Methodist University with the legendary concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Emanuel Borok earning his Master’s degree in Violin Performance. He also studied in a DMA program at University of Houston with Fredell Lack.
While a member of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra, Prof. Ivanov toured and performed in concert halls throughout Europe such as the City of Birmingham Symphony Hall (UK); the City Halls of Leeds, Bristol and Nottingham (UK); Prinzregententheater (Munich, Germany); and Teatro dei Rinnovati (Siena, Italy).
He took part in the 1990-1994 editions of “Settimana Musicale Sienese” in Siena, Italy. He has appeared in Potsdam, Germany (1980); Athens, Greece (1993); Ravello, Italy (1993). In 1980 Prof. Ivanov participated in a governmental cultural exchange delegation including solo performances in Pyongyang, North Korea.
He has participated in the January 2008 Carnegie Hall Tour in New York City and the 2018 Shift Festival at Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
In his solo appearances he has performed J.S. Bach’s Double Violin Concerto and Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra in Rousse, Bulgaria; Beethoven’s Violin Concerto with the State Academy Symphony Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria and Haydn’s Sinfonia Concertante at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion in Houston, Texas.
Prof. Ivanov has been on the music faculty of Tarrant County Community College, S.E. campus since 2016 and joined the music faculty of Tarleton State University as an Adjunct Violin Professor in the Fall of 2022.
He and his wife reside in Arlington with their two daughters.
Jeong Hoon Lee, flute (Principal Flute of the Dallas Asian Wind Ensemble)
Dr. Jeong Hoon Lee, a native of South Korea, completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of North Texas, where he was a Teaching Fellow under the mentorship of Mary Karen Clardy. His scholarly contribution includes the published research paper, “Texu Kim’s Le Temps Déformé for Solo Flute, Percussion, and Strings: Background and Analysis.” He earned his Master’s degree and Performer Diploma from Indiana University at Bloomington.
Relocating to the United States in 2011, his prodigious talent was recognized early on when he was declared the first-prize winner of both the American Protégé International Competition and the Golden Classical International Music Competition. His accolades also include the Most Distinguished Musician Award from the IBLA International Competition in Italy, and his impressive talent led to a debut concert at the esteemed Carnegie Hall and solo recital at the Lincoln Center in New York.
Additionally, he has maintained an active presence in chamber music, serving as Principal Flute of the Dallas Asian Winds and as a member of the Dallas Music Society. As a dedicated educator, he has been invited to host masterclasses at Southeastern Oklahoma University and he was appointed as Adjunct Faculty of Flute at Dallas College at Northlake Campus. He has further expanded his pedagogical influence as an Adjunct Faculty of Flute University of North Texas.
Jiaqui Lindsay Li, flute
Lindsay Li’s versatile background in solo, chamber, orchestra, and band makes her an experienced flute teacher. She excels in personalized lessons, nurturing each student's unique talents. Currently, Lindsay is pursuing her doctoral degree in music performance at the University of North Texas. In addition to her teaching, she actively participates in various ensembles and orchestras. Notably, she serves as both co-principal flutist in the UNT Concert Orchestra (2021-2023) and the UNT WindOrchestra, showcasing her exceptional talent and dedication to her craft.
Jieun Lee, piano
Dr. Jieun Lee is originally from Seoul, South Korea, where she started her piano studies at the Sunhw a Arts Middle and High School and made her orchestral debut at the age of 14 with the Gangdong Symphony Orchestra. When she holds her bachelor's degree from the Chugye University for the Arts, she received the honor scholarship for outstanding academic performance. She received a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance under the guidance of Professor Gustavo Romero from the University of North Texas, where she holds her Master’s degree
Joo Yon Chung, flute
Joo Yon Chung is a vigorous performer in solo and orchestral repertoire as well as a distinguished educator. She runs an established flute studio in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and performs with various ensembles in the area. She was also appointed as an Associate Member in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago for the 2019-2020 season and plays with the Dallas Asian Winds Ensemble.
Joo was selected to participate in the Round Top Music Festival Institute in Round Top, Texas and performed various orchestral and chamber music. During her time at RTFI, she was a winner in the Honors Chamber Group competition. Her chamber group’s performance of Paul Taffanel’s Wind Quintet in G was broadcast nationally on the “Performance Today” Show. She was also invited to perform at the National Flute Association as a member of the flute ensemble ‘Floutes’ in 2017 and 2016. A laureate of several national competitions, Ms. Chung was a featured performer in the Chicago Flute Club and Southeast Michigan Flute Association Masterclass competitions, won 3rd place in the 2019 National Flute Association Orchestral Audition and Masterclass Competition, 2nd place in the 2015 Three Arts Scholarship Competition, and 2nd place in the 2013 Baur Instrumental competition at the University of Cincinnati.
Joo earned her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music, Magna Cum Laude, where she studied with Randy Bowman and Bradley Garner. She received her Master of Music degree from The University of Texas at Austin under the guidance of Marianne Gedigian. She was also accepted as the first Artist Diploma student at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where she studied with Jonathan Keeble.
In addition to her achievements, Joo has performed in various masterclasses and summer festivals, where she had the honor to work with many celebrated artists such as Carol Wincenc, Christina Smith, Renée Krimsier. Ransom Wilson, Emma Gerstein, Richard Sherman, Bonita Boyd and Alexa Still.
Leslie Spotz, piano
Leslie Spotz, as Professor of Piano at Tarleton State University, received the 2017 Texas Music Teachers Association “Outstanding Collegiate Teaching Achievement” Award. As winner of the 2017 TSU College of Liberal and Fine Arts Faculty Excellence in Research and Creative Activities Award, Spotz enjoys an international performing career that spans four continents and four decades, and has included solo performances in Moscow at Tchaikovsky Hall of Moscow University, South Bank Center of London, Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the famed Academy of Music in Philadelphia, her highly acclaimed tours of Germany, concerts in Italy at the Lorenzo de’Medici Institute, solo recitals in Taiwan and Brazil, and her performance at the inaugural opening of Philadelphia’s magnificent performance venue, the Kimmel Center.
Recent seasons have included solo recitals throughout Texas, Rio de Janeiro and Il Encontro Internacional de Pianistas de Brazil and performances at the Music by Women Festival at Mississippi University for Women. In 2015 she performed solo recitals in New York City’s Tenri Cultural Institute, Indiana Wesleyan University, Dallas Public Library, and chamber music concerts in Dallas, TX, Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, and Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. She returned to New York and the Tenri Cultural Institute with colleague, Heather Hawk, soprano, for the Leschetizky Association Annual Living Composers Concert May, 2016. She returned to Italy in June 2013 for performances at the Conservatorio di Milano and the Ambrosianeum Foundation. Also, in June 2013 she performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina with soprano Marika Kyriakos and returned to London in May 2011. February 2010 included an all-Chopin Bicentennial recital in New York City. In December 2010 she returned to Germany in a solo recital at the Heilig–Kreuz–Kirche in Berlin. Hailed by the prestigious Süddeutsche Zeitung of Munich, Spotz’ Beethoven was described thus: “Stripped of veneer, revealing all the edges and corners, Spotz earnestly confronted Beethoven’s tempi and dynamic indications, leaving mediocrity and shallow beauty behind and bringing out truth. In all, a concert of the highest critical standard, further proof of the high carat quality of this series.”
Spotz has performed extensively throughout the U.S. from coast to coast. Concert highlights include her 2007 performance at Tarleton as soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony, performances of twenty Beethoven Sonatas at Rutgers University and her recitals for the Bach Festival of Philadelphia.
Receiving a full scholarship to the Curtis Institute of Music, Spotz studied for five years with the legendary, Mieczyslaw Horszowski, part of the heritage that is only three musicians-students-teachers away from Beethoven. She completed her doctorate at Rutgers University in 2002. Her appearances as soloist include the Mozart Society of Philadelphia, South Jersey Symphony, Curtis Symphony, Kinhaven Symphony in Vermont, the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra in North Carolina, the Old York Road Symphony in Abington, PA, and the Clear Lake Symphony in Texas. March 2013 she was soloist with the University of Texas – San Antonio Symphony.
Spotz has become an advocate for women musicians through her performances, collaborating with flutist Adeline Tomasone on the critically acclaimed CD Fantasias, and women composers are featured on her solo CD, issued by Leonore Records in 1999. Published recordings also include the three sets of 5 CDs each of solo piano literature, representing the repertoire for 13 graded levels, 2019-2021, 2016-2018 and 2010-2012 for the International Piano Performance Examination Committee (IPPEC) based in Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
She has collaborated with violinists: Maria Bachmann, Joseph Genualdi, and Mark Steinberg; flutist Laurel Zucker; David Wetherill, former co-principal horn of the Philadelphia Orchestra; Frank Kaderabek, former principal trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra; and Joseph Depasquale, who was longtime principal viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Among the notable international singers for whom Spotz has accompanied are sopranos Heather Hawk, Amanda Squitieri, Julianne Baird, Gwendolyn Bradley, Judith Lovat and Donna Connolly, and tenors Martin Dillon and Robert Guarino.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, "Miss Spotz commands the resonant sound and the elegant gesture… playing of great color, boldness, and suavity… most engaging
Noe Garcia, classical guitar
Noe Garcia's concert engagements have taken him to Spain to perform as part of the Camino Artes concert series. In Summer of 2017,18,19 Noe traveled to China for the third time and performed a series of concerts in Qinhuangdao, Jinan, Dalian, Suzhou and Beijing with his guitar trio, Trio Resonance. Noe is a top prize winner of international competitions and has performed in master classes for world-renowned artists such as Manuel Barrueco, Pepe Romero, LAGQ and Beijing Duo
Noe is passionate about music education and is currently working on doctoral studies at the University of North Texas where he was awarded a teaching fellowship. He loves and is dedicated to performing music from his home country and Latin America. He believes that, in this diverse and growing global society, music is a healing medium and can connect us to one another,
Seonghun Jeong, piano
Born in South Korea in 1996, Seonghun Jeang started playing the piano at the age of 14. Considering his relatively late start, he made an extra effort to catch up with his peers. Six months later, he was accepted to Gyeonggi Art High School. There his talent and passion for music became evident, and he deeply studied tone and musical atmosphere, which was his strength.
Jeong has won many competitions, including the Korean. Liszt Association Competition, Music Journal National Competition, Music Chunchoo Competition, Nanpa Piano Competition, Music: Education News Competition, Buam Music Competition, Korea Universal Competition, and many others.
As a soloist and collaborative pianist, he has performed at Lotte Concert Hall. Kumho Art Hall, Youngsan Art Hall, Mozart Hall, Lium Studio, Buam Art Hall, Concert Hall at Yonsei University, Korea National University of Arts, Ewha Womans University, and Seoul National University.
In addition, Jeong's interest in chamber music has led to frequent collaborations with other musicians. He has been recognized and chosen to perform in the Meadows Chamber Music Honors concerts. As a 2023-2024 Winner of the SMU Concerto Competition, he will play the Schumann Piano Concerto with the Meadows Symphony Orchestra in the spring of 2024.
Jeong holds his Bachelor of Music degree from Yonsei University in Seoul with a full scholarship and excellent grades. He is currently on full scholarship in Performer's Diploma program at SMU Meadows, in the studio of Dr. Carol Leone.
Seungbeom Oh, flute
Seungbeom Oh is a flutist from South Korea. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Keimyung University and continued his musical studies in the United States. He is currently pursuing his Master's degree at University of North Texas under the tutelage of Dr. Mary Karen Clardy and receiving a full scholarship.
Seungmin Oh, flute
Seungmin Oh, born in South Korea, had her first U.S. debut recital in Pittsburgh and performed in multiple invited recitals since, including as the Byron Hester Artist in Houston in 2019, a recital at the Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall in 2021, a full recital at the Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention in 2020 and 2022 and the 2023 Texas Flute Festival. She has also performed in London and Seoul at the Elgar Hall in the Royal Albert Hall and Seoul Arts Center and plays with the Dallas Asian Winds Ensemble.
She obtained bachelor’s degree from the Seoul National University, after which she moved to the United States to continue studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Jeanne Baxtresser’s studio as a scholarship recipient for the Advanced Music Studies and MM. As the final academic accomplishment, she graduated from the Peabody Conservatory’s Artist Diploma Program with Marina Piccinini.
Sohyun Ahn, Piano
Pianist Sohyun Ahn was named the Best Concert of the Yearby Eumak-Chunchu, South Korea’s leading classical music journal and has been described as a “an absolute master“ by New York Concert Review.
In the States, her performance venues include Carnegie’s Weill Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, Steinway Hall, Klavierhaus, Dimenna Center, Beethoven Haus, Bechstein Hall, Hubbard Recital Hall, Juilliard School, Hunter College, Concordia College, Union Theological Seminary, Trinity Church, Saint Paul’s Chapel, St.John’s in the Village, InterChurch, Central Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, High Line Nine Gallery in New York City. She has also performed at Rutgers University, St. Elizabeth College, All Saints Episcopal Church, Madison Grace Church, Kirkpatrick Church, NV Hall, Nous Theater in New Jersey, An Die Musik in Baltimore, Bates Recital Hall at the University of Texas at Austin, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert at Chicago Cultural Center, Allegro Music Consultants Concert Series in Philadelphia, Jamestown Community Piano Association Concert Series in Rhode Island.
Her performances include appearances with the Queensboro Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Baroque Orchestra, Royal Scottish Academy Orchestra, the Korean Symphony Orchestra, the Seoul Tutti Orchestra and the Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra. She was also a guest soloist at the concert honoring the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth at the Sejong Art Center. Her performances and interviews have been broadcast nationally in South Korea on EBS-TV and live broadcast on Chicago’s classical station WFMT. She has invited to perform at the W. Kempff Beethoven Course in Positano Italy, and the Ferrara International Music Festival Concert Series.
Frequently collaborating with NYC based musicians, Sohyun enjoys promoting the works of contemporary composers such as Alan Hovhaness, Michael Kosch, Chanhae Lee, David Loeb, John Musto, Juri Pang and Kyle Werner. Sohyun is also a chamber musician, performed with renowned instrumentalists, such as violist Eunsik Choi, Cellist Marion Feldman among others. She worked closely with New York Westside Opera, New Jersey Concert Opera, Pineda Lyric Opera, and performed over twenty complete opera productions from Mozart to Wagner.
Currently Sohyun is a Steinway Educational Partner and has taught at Rutgers, the New Jersey State University, Concordia College in New York and University of Texas at Austin. She also has worked as a director of Geneva Conservatory of Music in New York City. She received her Doctoral of Musical Arts Degree from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Masters degrees with distinction from the Royal Scottish Conservatory and Tokyo Geidai Academy, and a Professional Studies Degree from Manhattan School of Music. Her performance credentials are further enhanced through prize winnings in international and national piano competitions, including the RSAMD Bach Competition, the Governor’s Recital Competition, the Daejeon Philharmonic Concerto Competition, the Yongpyung Music Festival Concerto Competition, the New York Trinity Church Concert Audition, the International Asahi-Breweries Music Foundation Competition, the Yewon Music Competition. She was a finalist for the Dudley International Competition, and received the semi-finalist award from the Vianna da Motta International Competition.
In 2019, Sohyun gave the complete Mozart Piano Sonata Concert Series at St. John’s in the Village, New York City. Her Bach Goldberg Variations CD is released in Sonoris Label and Mozart Sonatas CD is released in Classic Art Label and reviewed by New York Concert Review as “a perfectly balanced, crystalline performance.”
This is her 5th season for the Mu Phi Epsilon Public Library Concert Series. More details at www.sohyun.org
Yongseok Kwon, piano
Korean pianist Yongseok Kwon started his piano studies at the age of seven. After graduating with a Bachelor of Music degree from Chugye University for the Arts in Seoul, Korea, Yongseok moved to North Texas to continue studying at the University of North Texas. There, he earned Master of Music degrees and is currently pursuing his doctorate degree under the guidance of Adam Wodnicki.
Yongseok Kwon has appeared in several recitals and concerts as both a soloist and collaborative pianist in both Korea and North Texas. He has also played in the UNT Symphony, Concert Orchestra, Wind Symphony, and Wind Ensemble, as well as the NOVA Ensemble.
Youjin Kim, flute
Yoojin Kim started flute when she was 10. She started as a major and studied at art middle school, high school, bachelor. And now, she is studying at UNT at master's degree for flute performance. she went several music camps with her colleagues including Germany. She got music&score scholarship when she was an undergraduate.
Tsun-yuet Emmanuel Kwok, cello
Native of Hong Kong, Tsun-yuet Emmanuel Kwok has appeared as a soloist in Europe, Asia, and the United States. He has performed over 30 world premieres of contemporary music and made his Carnegie Hall solo debut in June 2023. Currently, Kwok is a member of the McKinney Philharmonic Orchestra and Dallas Chamber Symphony. He also regularly plays with orchestras and ensembles, including the East Texas Symphony Orchestra, Plano Symphony Orchestra, Irving Symphony Orchestra, and the Texas Cellos. He has previously served as principal cellist of MPO, a member of the Hong Kong New Philharmonic, Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, and Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. Kwok has received awards, including 1st prize in the Hong Kong Music Festival and 2nd prize in the National Competition of Asia. In addition to his classical performance, he worked with worship ministries and pop singers in Southeast Asia and recorded more than ten albums as a solo cellist; in 2021, he also worked with RedSeaMusic (CA, USA) to produce music videos.
Kwok is currently a teaching artist at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Program and a faculty at Tarrant County College. He also teaches privately and serves as faculty of Prime Music Institute in Plano. Kwok is a registered Suzuki cello teacher and served as full-time cello faculty at Greenville Suzuki Strings from 2021 to 2023, and Fort Worth B Sharp Youth Music Program from 2015 to 2020; during his doctoral student life, he served as a teaching assistant of internationally renowned cellist Jesús Castro-Balbi, where he taught a wide range levels including students from music minor to graduate performance major.
He was also the assistant director of TCU Cello Ensemble. Besides, Kwok has also taught as cello faculty at professional music summer institutes, including Texas Cello School, Clear Creek Music Festival (OR), TCU Summer Cello Academy, and Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra Summer Music Intensive.
As a recitalist and soloist, Kwok is invited for solo and chamber recitals frequently in Dallas-Fort Worth area; and solo appearances with orchestras, including Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, The Greater North Texas Youth Orchestra, Mansfield Philharmonic, Flower Mound Symphony Orchestra, Coppell Community Orchestra, Collegium Musicum Hong Kong, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Art Academy Orchestra, and Hong Kong Baptist University Symphony Orchestra. In the season of 2023-24, Kwok's major cello projects included Dvorak Cello Concerto with Mesquite Symphony Orchestra, and Bach Suites at the Art Exhibition by Arts & Music Guild of McKinney.
Kwok believes in Authentic Christianity and the philosophy of Authentic Music Performance. As a musician and scholar, Kwok holds memberships of The National Society of Leadership and Success, Pi Kappa Lambda International Music Honor Society, and Golden Key International Honor Society. Kwok is also a regular Mu Phi Epsilon Concert Series member.
Kwok finished his Master of Music in cello performance at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, and Doctor of Musical Arts at Texas Christian University School of Music, majoring in cello performance with a cognate in music theory. He had the privilege of coaching by cellists Johannes Moser, Lynn Harrell, Steven Isserlis, Vagram Saradjian, Dmitri Atapine, Maja Bogdanovic, and Li-Wei Qin.
For more information, please visit www.emmanuelkwok.com
Texas Flute Society
A native Houstonian, flutist Julee Kim Walker remains an active performer and pedagogue in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex. She is Associate Professor of Flute at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Prior to her appointment, she held teaching positions at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Grayson College, Eastfield College, and the University of North Texas. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She received the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas. She is Artistic Director of the annual Texas Summer Flute Symposium.
As a soloist, she has performed with the Dallas Asian Wind Ensemble, American Wind Symphony Orchestra, Southeastern Symphonic Winds, Texas A&M University-Commerce Wind Ensemble and Banda Sinfônica de Cubatão in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Julee has also performed with notable flutists such as Ian Clarke, Amy Porter, Christina Jennings and Carol Wincenc.
Recent engagements include a Texas tour with the Texas Guitar Quartet, performance at the World Saxophone Congress in Zagreb, Croatia, and recitals and masterclasses in Shanghai, China and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Overseas, she was flutist for the Austrian American Mozart Academy Opera Festival in Salzburg, Austria for 4 seasons, and also performed as Principal flutist with the Franco-American Vocal Academy Opera Festival in Perigueux, France, and the Red River Lyric Opera Festival in Wichita Falls, TX.
An esteemed teacher, Dr. Walker was the 2016 recipient of the Paul W. Barrus Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching, and is sought-after as a clinician, adjudicator, and for masterclasses and lectures all over the world, including University of North Texas, CU Boulder, Florida State University, Shanghai Normal University in China, and the Guri Project in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
As an adjudicator, Dr. Walker has adjudicated for the UIL Texas State Solo and Ensemble Competition, Sigma Alpha Iota Triennial, the Mid-South Flute Society, Houston Flute Club, Oklahoma Flute Society, TMTA and MTNA competitions, the Texas Flute Society’s Myrna Brown competition and the National Flute Association’s Professional Flute Choir and Newly Published Music competitions. Dr. Walker currently serves as the President of the Texas Flute Society, and serves on the NFA Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Dr. Walker has performed with The Dallas Opera, Fort Worth Opera, Fort Worth Symphony, Dallas Chamber Symphony, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, South Arkansas Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Sherman Symphony, The Dallas Winds, Lyric Stage and Abilene Philharmonic. Her principal teachers include Terri Sundberg, Tim Day, Karl Kraber, Christina Jennings, September Payne, Helen Blackburn, and Elizabeth McNutt.
Texas Flute Society
The Texas Flute Society is a registered nonprofit organization, organized for the purpose and objectives as follows:
- to further the activities and education of flutists in North Central Texas
- to sponsor concerts, workshops, clinics, masterclasses, and festivals at which members and guest artists can perform and disseminate information, and
- to direct our efforts toward cultural and educational values in and for the general community, striving for activities with a public interest wider than that of members and contributors.
For more information, please visit www.texasflutesociety.org.
Flutes Unlimited, Ellen Kaner, conductor
Founded in 1993. Flutes Unlimited is a flexible ensemble of flutists from all over the DFW area. The group has performed at dozens of flute festivals and at several NFA conventions, as well as collaborating with The Women's Chorus of Dallas and the Turtle Creek Chorale. Some members are:
Chris Cox (piccolo), Christian Loaiza, Tara Richter, Vicky Suarez, Lexi Roelke, Evan Wennerberg, Ann Moulding, Cecilia Hamilton (alto), Christine Cleary (alto), Rebecca Cauthron (Bass), Kathleen Holley (bass), Cheryl Stewart (Contrabass)
Ivonne Davila is a native of Carrolton, TX. She is currently a Senior music major Texas A&M University-Commerce, where she studies flute with Dr. Julee Kim Walker and Alaina Clarice, and is a member of the flute choir and Symphonic Band After graduation, she plans to pursue a Master's degree in Music Therapy.
Anais Ning is a transplant from North Carolina and a tax attorney with a lifelong passion for music, She is currently rediscovering her love of flute and contemporary music under the tutelage of Dr. Julee Kan Walker.
SungAe Song, a South Korean flutist and traverso player, studied Master of Music and Professional Studies Diploma in Mannes College the New School for Music with Judith Mendenhall and Doctoral Music of Arts in University of Minnesota with Immanuel Davis. She moved to Dallas with her family and has been teaching various ages of students.