It’s been a fast ride for Bokyung Byun. Born in Seoul, Korea, Bo Byun (her friends call her Bo) began playing guitar at 6 years old. At 11, she played her first solo recital. Barely in her teens, she performed concerts around Korea earning millions of views on YouTube, and won three renowned competitions in Korea and the USA. In 2021, she triumphed at the Guitar Foundation of America, winning the most prestigious guitar competition in the world. The Vancouver Classic Guitar Society is delighted to present the remarkable Bo Byun on May 19th at Pyatt Hall at 7 pm. Guitar students can take a masterclass with Bo on Saturday, May 20th from 12 – 4 pm at the Korean Community Centre, 1320 East Hastings. Concert tickets and masterclass registration at www.vancouverguitar.org
At 16, Bo entered The Juilliard School on New York City. “My dad reached out to people everywhere to figure out the right path for me,” she says, adding she is grateful to count Scott Tennant, William Kanengiser, Chen Zhi, Tae-soo Kim, and Sharon Isbin among her teachers. Today, she teaches at California State University, Fullerton and performs worldwide as a soloist and with orchestras.
She has a fondness for the music English guitar legend Julian Bream introduced to the world and also enjoys the Segovia repertoire. Bo’s concert program features contemporary music alongside traditional repertoire. She says, “It’s vital and exciting to audiences for concerts to join the new with the old.”
Reviewers describe her as “extraordinary,” La Presse de Gray, “Bokyung’s artistry and technique break the limits of conventional classical guitar,” San Diego Guitar Festival and “Bokyung Byun is one of the great guitarists of our time,” Sharon Isbin.
Her Vancouver concert marks the last stop on a two year 35 plus city concert tour. With her formal education and competition days behind her, Byun is charting a new course in her musical career encompassing performing, teaching, and more. “During the pandemic I felt a little useless as a guitarist. I feel now that I want to give back to society in some way. I’m not sure how I will achieve that with the guitar, but we’ll see.”
For tickets and more information, go to www.vancouverguitar.org or contact Valerie Boser , VCGS Publicity Director at publicity@vancouverguitar.org