BIO

Miryo Park is recognized as one of the foremost Korean-born pianists and has been in the headlines since her emergence as a musical prodigy. Ms. Park made her first concert debut at age seven with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, performing the Haydn Piano Concerto in D Major.  At the age of fourteen, Ms. Park first appeared at a New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concert conducted by Michael Tilson-Thomas. Upon winning the prestigious Walter W. Naumburg Competition in 1979, Ms. Park was seen on CBS Television, performing the Liszt B minor Sonata, and was interviewed in “the Documentary on Juilliard,” which was broadcasted throughout the United States. She was also featured in “The Lookout – The Guide to the Up and Coming,” in the February 1982 issue of “People” Magazine as a promising artist to watch out for.

Miryo Park made her New York debut on April 5, 1981, on 48-hours’ notice, when she substituted for Rosalyn Tureck, playing the Benefit Recital at Town Hall. Praised by Daniel Barenboim for her “great musicality, temperament, and technique,” Ms. Park has performed in major recital series such as Isabella Gardener Museum in Boston, the Performing Arts Center in St. Cloud, Paris, Dame Myra Hess Concert series and Highland Park Library both in Chicago, Ho-Am Arts center in Seoul, La Villa Beau-Site in Nice. Ms. Park has also performed at the exclusive La Chapelle Royale in Chateau de Versailles in France. As a part of celebration for the Olympic Games, Ms. Park was invited to perform a series of concerts in Seoul, Korea.  She was also one of the guest performers on the invitation-only “Classical Music Cruise” to Bermuda, with a group of distinguished artists. 

Throughout her career, Miryo Park has enjoyed working alongside the world’s finest conductors, including Sergiu Comissiona, Thomas Michalak, James Conlon, Sixten Erling, Morton Gould, Martin Canellakis, Lothar Zagrosek, Christian Badea, Judith Somogy, Robert Craft, and Myung-Whun Chung. Zubin Mehta spoke of “her amazing command of the instrument and very definite interpretive qualities” and Mstislav Rostropovich wrote of “her beautiful and rich sound and perfect understanding of musical form.” Her orchestral appearances include a series of five concerts with the Baltimore Symphony, Aspen Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Utica Symphony, Korean National Symphony, Juilliard Orchestra, Korean Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensborough Symphony, KBS Symphony, Ulsan Symphony and numerous others.

Miryo Park’s long list of prizes and awards started when she won the National Young Artists’ Competition in Texas at the age of sixteen. Since then, she has won many, including, at Juilliard, the Terese Kleppel Award, Ruth Rosenmann Memorial Scholarship, twice the William Petscheck Memorial Scholarship, the Judith Grayson Memorial Scholarship, and the First Award of the Richard Levien Memorial Scholarship, the highest honor in piano. Twice a winner in the Three Rivers Competition, Ms. Park has also won two Juilliard Competitions, the American Music Association’s Competition, the Meadowbrook Music Festival Competition and the Aspen Music Festival Competition. 

While raising three children as a single parent, Ms. Park took some time away from the stage and was invited to join the piano faculty at the Music Conservatory of Westchester as well as being in charge of Greenwich division of the conservatory.  In addition to this, Miryo Park created a piano program at the American School of Paris.

In 2012, Ms. Park returned to the New York stage to perform Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 2 at Merkin Hall.  A couple of years later, Miryo Park made her much-anticipated return to Merkin Hall in April 2017, performing the Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5. 

Ms. Park is a graduate of The Juilliard School in New York, having enrolled at the age of thirteen. She studied with renowned pedagogue Herbert Stessin, and later with Sascha Gorodnitzki. In Korea, Ms. Park was awarded an honorary diploma to her alma mater, Ye-Won, the prestigious school for arts. She is currently based in Greenwich, Connecticut.

TIMELINE

Childhood (1958 - 1971)

1971

Top score in entrance exam to Yewon Art School, in fierce competition.

1972

Invited to study at Juilliard School’s Pre-College division by Herbert Stessin.

Beginning (1973 - 1979)

1974

Avery Fisher Hall: Performs at the New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concert at the invitation of Michael Tilson Thomas

American Music Bicentennial in New York: Performs MacDowell Concerto No. 2

1975

Juilliard Theatre:  Performs with Christian Badea and Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra

Midland-Odessa, Texas: Wins National Young Artist Competition; subsequently performs with Midland-Odessa Symphony

Invited to Aspen Music School by Aube Tzerko

1976

Featured performer at the commencement concert for Professional Children’s School at Fordham University; performs Liszt Transcendental Etude No 10.

Begins Juilliard College Division. Accepted to class of Sascha Gorodnitzki and accepted in Felix Galimir’s chamber music class as a freshman, a rare occurrence.

1977

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra:  Series of 5 concerts in and around Baltimore with Sergiu Commissiona conducting

Seoul: Performs for the first time in 4 years since leaving Korea with National Symphony Orchestra

1978

Performs with Utica Symphony, St Olaf Orchestra, McKeesport Symphony, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra

1979

Alice Tully Hall: Performs Beethoven Emperor Concerto with The Juilliard Orchestra at the commencement concert

Carnegie Hall: Final performance for Naumburg International Competition

Seoul: Performs Rachmaninoff Concerto No 3 with Korean National Symphony Orchestra and Lothar Zagrosek

New York, the US, Europe and Asia (1979-1998)

1979

Winner, second prize, Walter W. Naumburg International Piano Competition

1982

People Magazine: “The Look Out – The Guide to the Up and Coming” featured as the promising artist to watch out for

William Petschek Award at Juilliard

1984

Boston: return invite to Isabella Gardner Museum Recital Series

New York: Recital at Gillary Gallery Concert Salon

1985

Seoul: Performs with Myung Whun Chung and KBS (Bach Concerto for 2 Pianos and Chopin Piano Concerto No 1)

New York: Korean Symphony Orchestra of New York

1988

Seoul: as a part of celebration for the Olympic Games, invited to perform a series of concerts

Rachmaninoff Concerto No 2 with Korean Symphony

1991

Chicago: Performance at Dame Myra Hess Concert Series broadcast live on WFMT

Seoul: Invited to judge the first Chopin Competition of Korea

Chicago: Performance at Highland Park Library Recital Series

1992

Greenwich: Donated private recital for auction to benefit Greenwich Country Day School

1997-1998

New York: Merkin Concert Hall, Chopin Piano Concerto No 1 (1997) & Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 (1998)

Versailles: Performs Chopin at Chateau de Versailles dans la Chapelle Royale

Ulsan, Korea: Performs Brahms Concerto No 1 with Ulsan Symphony Orchestra

Awards and Scholarships:

Juilliard: Terese Kleppel Award, Ruth Rosenmann Memorial Scholarship, William Petschek Memorial Scholarship (twice), Judith Grayson Memorial Scholarshp, First award of Richard Levien Memorial Scholarship (highest honor in piano), 

Seoul: Honorary diploma from her alma mater Yewon- prestigious school for arts

Competitions:

2 Juilliard Competitions, Three Rivers Competition (twice), American Music Association Competition, Meadowbrook Music Festival Competition, Aspen Music Festival Competition

Sabbatical (1999-2011)

2012 - Present

New York: Performed Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No 2 (2012) at Merkin Concert Hall

Hendersonville, NC: Memorial Recital (2013)

New York: Returned to Merkin Concert Hall, performed Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 (2017)