Dr. Soo-Yeon Park

Pianist Soo-Yeon Park enjoys a diverse career as a recitalist, collaborative pianist, chamber musician, and opera and vocal coach. She has collaborated with Long Beach Opera, Angels Vocal Art, Opera Pacific, Intimate Opera, USC Thornton Opera, Classical Singers Association, National Association of Teachers of Singing, Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra, California Conducting Institute, and Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. She has also worked closely with renowned conductors such as Jorge Master, John DeMain, Daniel Lewis, Donald Thulean, and John Farrer as well as members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra. In 2018, she received the Doug Davis Composition and Performance Award with her contemporary music ensemble

Her music festival appearances include the London Piano Festival, Korean Chamber Orchestra Summer Music Festival, Algonquin International Music Festival in Canada, SongFest, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, and Bowdoin International Music Festival. She is also founder and artistic director of the Bakersfield International Music Festival, a ten-day summer chamber music program for students studying violin, vola, cello, and piano.

As a winner of the 2011 International Women's Day Award in Arts & Entertainment for Kern County, California, Dr. Park actively serves her community as a clinician and adjudicator at festivals and competitions including Music Teachers' Association of California, California Music Educators Association Solo & Ensemble Festivals, Southern California Junior Bach Festival, and Bakersfield Youth Symphony Orchestra.

A native of Korea and prize winner of several Korean national piano competitions, Dr. Park received her Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Seoul National University and her Master of Music degree in Piano/Ensemble Arts from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. As a full scholarship recipient, she earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Keyboard Collaborative Arts at the University of Southern California with additional studies in opera coaching, early music, and music education. She was also a recipient of the Gwendolyn and Adolph Koldofsky Memorial Endowed Scholarship for four consecutive years and was chosen as the outstanding graduate in the program.

Dr. Park has served as faculty and vocal coach at Antelope Valley College, Pasadena City College, California Institute of the Arts, and California State University, Northridge. She is currently a faculty member at California State University, Bakersfield, where she coordinates piano studies and directs the chamber music program and the opera program.