Chung Park joins the University of Central Florida Music faculty as the new Director of Orchestras, where he will be conducting the orchestra and teaching string music education.
Park is no stranger to higher education, having worked at Appalachian State University, Idaho State University and the University of Miami. His musical education was attained at the Peabody Conservatory and the University of Miami, where he received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree. He studied with conductor and composer Thomas Sleeper.
Park has worked with leading soloists including the Marcus Roberts Trio, pianist David Gross, violinist Yosuke Kawasaki, and many more. He was the recipient of the Presser Foundation Music Prize, a Distinguished Music Award by the North Dakota String Teachers Association and named “Businessperson of the Year-Overachiever Under 40” by the Idaho State Journal.
Park enjoys teaching, as it combines two personality traits. “I’m a people person first and musician second. I get to fulfill my loves of being around both.” His charismatic attitude adds to his appeal and aids in helping students stay focused and involved.
Park has high hopes for his new position. “I hope to grow the orchestra program in terms of size and quality. I want to make UCF a destination for string music education nationally, not just in Florida.” His immediate goal is to ensure that the orchestra in UCF Music Department is competitive with those of other state universities, including Florida State University and the University of Miami.
In addition to conducting, Park is a violist. When not teaching or playing music, Park enjoys cooking, specifically with foraged food, like mushrooms.
UCF Music is ecstatic to have Chung Park join the faculty as a fellow colleague and UCF Knight. Charge on!
You can find more information about Park on his website.