BYUNG-KOOK KWAK, Violinist
Internationally acclaimed as one of the finest violinists of the generation, Byung-Kook Kwak enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. From coast to coast, critics have hailed him as a premier violinist whose musical gifts and technical wizardry are powerful and sensitive.
Mr Kwak has received critical acclaim in this country for performances with orchestras such as Atlanta Symphony, American Symphony, Montreal Symphony, New Philharmonic of New Jersey, Westchester Symphony, Little Orchestra Society and Los Angeles Chamber Symphony. In Europe he was featured soloist with New York Virtuosi on its European tour in 14 major cities in Germany, Holland and France.
Active as a chamber musician, Mr. Kwak participates in diverse chamber music groups from baroque ensemble to Schonberg and Penderecki, and is a member of the world renowned Sea Cliff Chamber Players.
Mr. Kwak has occupied himself with a busy conducting schedule as well. He has been the conductor of the Summit Music Festival Orchestra at Marymount College for the past five years, and conducted the Manhattan School of Music Summer Festival Orchestra in the summer of 1999.
Combining all these with a teaching career, he is currently a faculty member at Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College of Music, and Westchester Conservatory of Music, and is chairman of strings at Jewish Academy of Fine Arts.
Born in Seoul, Korea, Mr. Kwak was hailed as a child prodigy and made his orchestral debut at the age of seven with Seoul Philharmonic. He was awarded first prizes in prestigious competitions in Seoul, including Dong-A National competition. Continuing his studies in the U.S., he became one of the youngest violinists ever to be accepted to study with Jascha Heifetz at age twelve. Earning his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Juilliard School, he studied with Dorothy DeLay and Ivan Galamian.
Mr. Kwak plays on a J. B. Guadagnini, ex "Brodsky", circa 1751. It was the instrument on which Adolf Brodsky, to whom the concerto was dedicated, played the world premiere of the Tchaikovsky violin concerto in Vienna in 1881.