These concerts are the North Carolina Symphony debut for Bokyung Byun.
2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient Bokyung Byun is also the first female winner of the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, where Falletta herself described her 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
In recent seasons, Byun has performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Utah Symphony, West Los Angeles Symphony, New Juilliard Ensemble, and Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, among others. Committed to expanding the role of a 21st-century musician, she co-founded 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.
Byun’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 Andrés Segovia.”
Born in Seoul, Korea, Byun began playing guitar at the age of six. At 11, she took the stage for her first solo recital, leading to concert tours around Korea. After moving to the United States, she briefly studied in Los Angeles before moving to New York City, where she entered The Juilliard School at the age of 16. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The Juilliard School and a doctoral degree from the University of Southern California.
In 2020, Byun co-founded Guitarlab, an online learning platform offering classes for young professionals around the world. She is currently on the guitar faculty of University of North Texas. She plays a guitar by Dieter Mueller (2019).