Bokyung Byun
“Here is a simple fact: with artistry such as Ms. Byun’s, the state-of-the-art of guitar performance has reached a new level.”
-Soundboard Magazine
Recipient of the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Bokyung Byun enjoys a reputation as one of the most sought-after guitarists of her generation. Bokyung holds the distinction of being the first female winner of the prestigious JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition, where Falletta herself described Bokyung’s performance as "stunning, showcasing her gorgeous tone, immaculate technique, and sophisticated musicianship.” Other recent honors include the grand prize at the 2021 Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition and the Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition.
Born in Seoul, Korea, Bokyung began playing guitar at the age of six. At eleven, she took the stage for her first solo recital, leading to an early start in her teen years performing numerous concert tours in Asia. At the same time, Bokyung gained international attention for first-prize finishes in international competitions.
Bokyung soon moved to the United States, where she entered The Juilliard School at the age of sixteen. She holds Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California. Teachers and mentors include Scott Tennant, William Kanengiser, Chen Zhi, Tae-Soo Kim, and Sharon Isbin.
Bokyung’s debut recording in 2020 has been praised by Soundboard Magazine as, “a very beautiful disc…We are treated to extraordinary musicianship, technical assurance, and beauty of sound.” In 2022, American Record Guide chose her Naxos Laurate Series recording as the Critics’ Choice Album, remarking her style as “very reminiscent of Andres Segovia.”
Bokyung is currently on the guitar faculty of University of North Texas. She is an Augustine Strings artist and plays a guitar by Dieter Mueller (2019).
Krishnan-Baek Duo
The Krishnan-Baek Duo is made up of guitarist Stephen Krishnan and pianist Jae-Eun Baek. They perform original arrangements as well as works composed for guitar and piano. The works they program highlight the unique attributes of each instrument and combine them to create a sound that is both traditional and new.
Stephen Krishnan is a guitarist and educator based in Austin. An advocate for contemporary classical music, he enjoys playing solo and in chamber ensembles. He has been featured by notable arts organizations including Austin Chamber Music Center, Austin Classical Guitar, Conspirare, and The Contemporary Austin at Laguna Gloria. Most recently, he performed a live soundtrack to the 1925 silent film “Phantom of the Opera” alongside his Moontower Duo partner, Sandy Yamamoto, and Annie Jacobs-Perkins. Stephen also performed on Conspirare's album The Singing Guitar with the Austin Guitar Quartet, which received a Grammy Nomination in 2021. Stephen completed his Bachelor of Music at the University of Texas at Austin under Adam Holzman, and his Masters in Music at the University of Southern California under Bill Kanengiser. He is the Guitar Director at Orpheus Academy of Music, leads the Austin Classical Guitar Youth Sinfonia, and is adjunct faculty at Huston-Tillotson University.
Pianist Jae-Eun Baek is originally from Seoul, South Korea where she grew up and began studying music.Having been born into a family of musicians, and with a composer as a mother, Jae-Eun was exposed to music from a young age. As a teenager she was trained in an arts school which specialized in an educational system for gifted young artists.She received a Bachelor of Music from Yonsei University, in Seoul, South Korea. After finishing college, she moved to the United States and completed her Master’s degree at Indiana University with Prof. Edward Auer. Later, she moved to Austin to pursue her Doctoral degree at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the recipient of the 2016–2019 Butler School of Music Scholarship and the 2016–2019 College of Fine Arts Scholarship. Currently, she is working as a pre-college piano director at the Orpheus Academy of Music where she teaches, develops curriculum, and mentors young teachers. She is certified in Kodaly and is specialized in teaching group theory classes to children grades K-5. Besides teaching, Jae-Eun is an adjunct professor at Austin Community College. She is an active performer and enjoys chamber music collaborations with colleagues.
Duo Fortis
It is a great pleasure to announce that Guitar in the Big Bend’s February, 2025 visiting artists are the wonderful Duo Fortis. Duo Fortis has performed all over North and South American - now they are coming to Marfa and Alpine, Texas.
Our mission is to bring world class guitarists to the Big Bend of Texas
My goal is to bring truly world class guitarists to Alpine and Marfa. My hope is that their performances and teaching will benefit the music students of Sul Ross as well as the larger Big Bend community.
Thank you so much for being here.
-Nicolas Hurt, Director of Guitar in the Big Bend and Adjunct Professor of Music and Guitar at Sul Ross State University.
