The UNLV Performing Arts Center welcomes guitarist Bokyung Byun — the 2021 winner of the Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition — to the Black Box Theatre at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 24.
Byun will perform a stunning concert showcasing her gorgeous tone, immaculate technique, and sophisticated musicianship of contemporary and traditional works. She’s praised by Classical Guitar Magazine as “confident and quite extraordinary,” and “American Record Guide” hailed the “creative phrasings … and dynamics” of her 2020 debut CD.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Byun began playing guitar at the age of six. In her teens, she achieved first prize finishes in the Korea Guitar Association, the Music Association of Korea, and the Guitar Foundation of America International Youth Competition. She moved to the U.S. at age 16 and holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from the Julliard School. She lives in Los Angeles and graduated with a doctorate from the University of Southern California, where she was the recipient of the International Artist Fellowship.
Byun, 24, holds the distinction of being the first female winner of the JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition. She also won first prize at the Frances Walton Competition, the Montreal International Classical Guitar Competition, and the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Competition. She has performed as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Buffalo Philharmonic, the West Los Angeles Symphony, the New Juilliard Ensemble, the Little Orchestra Society, the Euro-Asian Philharmonic, and the Aspen Music Festival Orchestra.
Byun participates in numerous guitar festivals, including the Kumho Young Artist Series, Philadelphia Guitar Festival, and Toronto Guitar Weekend, among others. She is a chamber music instructor at the Aspen Music Festival and through the Juilliard School, served as guitar instructor and ensemble director of the school's Music Advancement Program. She has also instructed elementary school students in partnership with the City College of the Arts and George Jackson Academy.
This concert is sponsored by Dr. Mitchell and Pearl Forman.
Tickets are $30 each (discounts may be available) and may be purchased by telephone at 702-895-ARTS (2787), online, or at the PAC box office from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. When purchasing tickets, consider donating to the Performing Arts Center to provide local students the opportunity to work with all the outstanding artists.
The Performing Arts Center at UNLV is participating in Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), the most comprehensive economic impact study of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United States. Administered by Americans for the Arts, AEP6 will examine the economic impact of the arts and culture in Clark County and 386 additional communities representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Concertgoers will be able to complete a survey to assist in this study of the economy and the arts in Clark County.
About the PAC
The UNLV Performing Arts Center is the original home for the arts in Southern Nevada; it opened in 1976 and celebrates its 46th season in 2022-23. It hosts a variety of performances and events and is home to self-produced events plus productions of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre, UNLV School of Music, UNLV Dance, and the Las Vegas Men’s Chorus, among many other community arts presenters. The UNLV PAC also hosts various Clark County School District fine arts festivals and concerts.
