Bokyung Byun, born in Seoul, Korea, was a child prodigy who began playing guitar at six and quickly gained recognition in Korea. At twelve, she moved to study under various master classical guitar players, first in China and then at fourteen, in the U.S., to study at The Juilliard School. Later, she earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California. Living alone at such a young age gave her a sense of isolation. Questioning her identity and the meaning of what home meant for many years, she embraced music as her global language, embodying all cultures, styles, patterns, and colors. Not belonging to any one place or tradition, yet a part of everything is how Bokyung Byun dazzled the crowd at her debut Austin performance at Austin Classical Guitar’s Rosette Room performance.
The pitter-patter of Byun’s deft finger work on the last set, Whirler of the Dance by Carlos Rafael Rivera[1], sounded like the excited footsteps of someone running home because they finally found it. Bokyung Byun’s current home is in Texas. Bokyung Byun is a distinguished guitarist, awarded the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, and recognized as the first female winner of the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, where her performance was hailed as “stunning” by Falletta. She also won the grand prize at the 2021 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition.
The collection of eclectic pieces allowed the audience to travel metaphorically with Bokyung worldwide. Opening with Etude No. 1 by Guilio Regionoi, on to the Homeenaje a lá Guitarra by Eduardo Sainz de la Maza Byun’s small hands and expert control produced a serene and otherworldly effect mesmerizing the audience into what seemed like a trance.
“Bokyung’s confident and quite extraordinary rendition of Britten’s notoriously difficult Nocturnal after John Dowland…truly brought out the depth of its many tonal colors and shading.”
-Classical Guitar Magazine
She moved on to a set of emotional (and unexpected in their interpretation) collections by Vicente Asencio y Ruano. From Serenity to Joy, Calm, Delight, and Haste, Bokyung’s playful distillation created nervousness from serenity, havoc out of calm, anxiety out of delight, and temperance from haste, showing us the complexity and yin and yang of emotions through her taught nimbleness.
The second-to-last set, written by the Turkish composer Cecil Refik Kaya, is called Sonatina and consists of three parts. Kaya is known for performing works from the traditional classical guitar canon, including pieces by composers such as Fernando Sor, Mauro Giuliani, and Heitor Villa-Lobos, as well as contemporary compositions. He frequently champions lesser-known or new works, helping to expand the instrument’s repertoire. Bokyung’s interpretation and synthesis of Kaya included a medley of Asian, near-Asian, and Spanish guitar beats.
Byun has performed solo with renowned orchestras, including the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Utah Symphony. Her recitals have captivated audiences at events such as the Philadelphia Guitar Festival and the San Diego Guitar Festival, earning her accolades for her “confidence, passion, and dynamic contrast.”
A proponent of contemporary music, Byun co-founded Sounding Board, a project that fosters collaboration between composers and guitarists. Her 2020 debut recording was praised for its extraordinary musicianship, and her 2022 album received the Critics’ Choice Award from American Record Guide.
She co-founded Guitarlab, an innovative online learning platform, and teaches at the University of North Texas. She is an Augustine Strings artist and plays a Dieter Mueller guitar (2019).
There is endless springtime in Bokyung’s agile fingers as they lurch to grab onto life’s budding flowers and branches, eagerly extending out to paint a harmonic sky, one she reaches for in her pursuit of the day.
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[1] Composer of the score for The Queen’s Gambit, and A Walk Among the Tombstones among other TV series and film scores.
Photo: Elise (l) with Bokyung