Prof. Sook-Ryeon Park

Sook Ryeon Park is one of the most active Korean pianists both as a soloist and chamber musician. Her international career has drawn positive attention since 1993 when she became an Assistant Professor at the Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in the United States. She has performed numerous concerts in the United States, Europe and Asian countries including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Malaysia. She came back to her native country Korea in 1999 and has remained very active as a performer and teacher.
Serving as a tenured faculty of the Sunchon National University, she has tutored many young aspirants across the nation. Among her prominent students, Seong Jin Cho has emerged as a Wunderkind, first prize winning the Chopin International Piano Competition (2015).
Dr. Park’s academic backgrounds were built in the most prominent institutions in the United States and Korea. She holds both Doctoral and Masters’ degrees from the Eastman School of Music with highest distinction and the Performer’s Certificate. Prior to Eastman education, Park earned a B.A. degree from Seoul National University. In between, she also participated in the Aspen Summer Music Festival, Salzburg Summer Festival, and the Saint Louis Conservatory of Music where she was granted the Artist Certificate.
Park has performed numerous concerts with many prominent orchestras including Wraclaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Samara Philharmonic Orchestra, Chicago Chamber Orchestra and Korean Symphony Orchestra. In addition, Park has performed some four scores of solo piano recitals on invitation. Addedly, between 1993 and 2000, Park led the “Arete Trio” touring many cities of America and Asian Countries.
In Korea, Park enjoys the firm reputation of the pioneer and master of “lecture recital”. Since 1994, she has led the movement of the audience-friendly classical music.
Since 2005, Park has dramatically broadened the realm of her activities, taking various positions such as judge of international competition and artistic director of music festivals. Notedly, since 2010, Park has been the artistic director of DMZ International Music Festival.

Prof. Wolfgang Zill

Professor Wolfgang Zill studied piano with Professors Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Martin Dörrie. He pursued his piano studies at the University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover (HMTMH), earning degrees in Music Education and Artistic Performance.
A central focus of his artistic and pedagogical work has always been the early musical development of young pianists, particularly highly gifted and exceptionally talented students. For more than three decades, he taught at the Municipal Music School of Braunschweig, where he also served for many years as Head of the Piano Department.
At the University of Music, Drama and Media Hanover, Professor Zill’s current work is closely associated with the Institute for the Early Advancement of the Highly Gifted (IFF). He is also responsible for Piano Pedagogy at the university and serves as a board member of the Piano and Music Education subject groups.
Professor Zill is actively engaged in the international piano-pedagogical community. He is a regular lecturer and speaker at major educational initiatives, including the European Piano Teachers Association (EPTA), and contributes his expertise to the ongoing development of contemporary piano pedagogy.
Over the course of his teaching career, Professor Zill has initiated and directed numerous ambitious concert projects with his piano classes. Many of his students have won awards and achieved outstanding success at both national and international competitions, among them Marie Rosa Günter, Tsuzumi Namikawa and Nicole Rudi.
In addition to his work as a professor and piano pedagogue, Wolfgang Zill maintains an active career as a pianist, lecturer, and jury member. He is regularly engaged in Germany and abroad, combining artistic practice with his longstanding commitment to the education and advancement of young pianists.

Final Jury Member to be announced!