SKP Musicians

Texas-born flutist Esther Hyung Lee moved to Korea when she was seven years old. After she began her flute studies at age 14, she attended Kay Won High School of Arts and studied with Eun Kyung Kim, Young Ok Kim, and Yeon Hwa Song.

After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree from Sook Myung Women’s University in Korea under the guidance of Mi Sook Kim, Ms. Lee returned to the United States and studied with Soo-Kyung Park. She received her Master’s Degree at the Manhattan School of Music studying under Linda Chesis, then continued her education at Carnegie Mellon University where she received her Artist Diploma under Jeanne Baxtresser and Alberto Almarza. Ms. Lee has been the recipient of merit scholarships at Sook Myung University and MSM, as well as a prestigious full scholarship at CMU.

Furthermore, Ms. Lee has performed in various masterclasses led by world-renowned artists, including Jasmine Choi, Peter-Lukas Graf, Lorna McGhee, Michael Parloff, and Karl-Heinz Schultz. An active soloist, she has held numerous recitals and concerts in halls such as Korea Kumho Art Hall, Pittsburgh’s Heinz Hall, Carnegie Mellon Institute, Carnegie Weil Recital Hall, and Lincoln Center in New York.

Currently, Ms. Lee serves as a member of MTA Artist, Blooming Flute Ensemble, NY Flutists, and New York Wind Orchestra. She spends most of her time teaching privately and is a cat enthusiast.

Flutist and piccoloist Julie Lee is an active performer, educator, project manager, concert promoter, and writer based in New York and New Jersey. Born in Vancouver and raised in Seoul, Julie began her flute studies from age 10, showing perfect pitch and impressive memory. Julie moved to the United States in 2006 to broaden her musical horizons, attending the Interlochen Arts Academy and the Walnut Hill School for the Arts. She continued her studies at Mannes School of Music for her Bachelor of Music degree and then received her Master of Music degree at Carnegie Mellon University. Upon graduating Carnegie Mellon, Julie was selected as a recipient of the Harry G. Archer Award for Graduate Performance Excellence and the Pittsburgh Female College Association Prize.

In 2016, Julie won the Carnegie Mellon University’s annual Concerto Competition, subsequently making her solo debut performing Carl Reinecke's Flute Concerto in D Major with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also received second prize at the New York Flute Club Competition, first prize at the Korea Music Education News Competition, and the grand prize at the Arum Broadcasting Music Competition.

An active orchestral player, Julie currently serves as principal flute of the New Jersey Sinfonietta and subs with the New World Symphony in Miami. In 2015, she was chosen to perform principal flute in Claude Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic Orchestra. An avid chamber musician mastering works ranging from Baroque to Contemporary periods, Julie has performed with the Baroque Ensemble at Mannes and Carnegie Mellon, as well as the Contemporary Ensemble at Carnegie Mellon University. She has performed regularly at prestigious venues throughout the United States including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, and Symphony Space.

Julie appeared in summer festivals in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Korea including the National Repertory Orchestra, Orford Music Festival, and the Tanglewood Institute. She has performed for world-renowned flutists in masterclasses including Michel Debost, Mathieu Dufour, Robert Langevin, Michael Parloff, Elizabeth Rowe, and many more. Throughout her youth, Julie served as Young Artist at the Boston Flute Academy, New England Conservatory Preparatory School, and the Seoul Arts Center. Her principal teachers include Alberto Almarza, Jeanne Baxtresser, Judy Grant, So-Young Lee, Soo-Kyung Park, Nancy Stagnitta, and Keith Underwood.

Currently working toward a Master’s degree in Instrumental Performance, Grace Quigley studies the flute with Soo-Kyung Park at New York University Steinhardt. She performs frequently with the NYU Orchestra as well as the NYU New Music Ensemble. Before moving to New York, she earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Grove City College, where she studied with David Tessmer.

Grace has performed in masterclasses led by Katharine Rawdon and David Kim, and has also attended several prestigious summer programs such as Oxford Flute Summer School, Carnegie Mellon University’s The Consummate Flutist, and West Virginia University’s International Flute Symposium. An accomplished soloist, she was awarded first place honors in the Elite International Music Competition, which allowed her to perform at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. In addition, she has been a finalist in the Butler Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition and has performed J.S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 with the NYU Orchestra.

Grace is passionate about chamber music and considers it one of the most rewarding musical outlets. She has been a member and director of several wind quintets and flute ensembles before she became a part of New York Flutists. When not playing the flute, Grace enjoys loitering at secondhand bookshops and reading her spoils at coffee shops around the city.

Born in South Korea, flutist Heejung Kim started the flute at the age of 14. She studied with Hyekyung Lee at the Sunhwa Arts High School and received her Bachelor of Music degree from Yonsei University. She continued her studies in the United States, attending Carnegie Mellon University with a certificate of performance under Jeanne Baxtresser. She then received her Master of Music degree from the Peabody Institute under the instruction of Marina Piccinini.

A passionate soloist, Heejung won several competitions internationally including first prize at the Korea Symphonic, Seoul Flute Institute and the Music Chungchu in South Korea. In the United States, she won both Baltimore Music Club’s professional and senior competitions and won second prize at the Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair Young Artist Competition and the Lynn Taylor Hebden Prize in Performance.

An avid orchestral musician, Heejung has played with the KBS Symphony Orchestra, Insiem Orchestra, Sung-Nam National Orchestra, Peabody Symphony, and Peabody Concert Orchestras.

Currently, Heejung Kim teaches privately in New Jersey and is a teaching assistant at Soo-Kyung Park's flute studio.

Jinyoung Susanna (Choi) Paik is a founding member of New York Flutists. She is the also founder and artistic director of Floutes, a flute ensemble formed out of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Since its establishment in 2015, she has led the ensemble to perform all throughout the United States and South Korea and performed the world premier of Joel Hoffman’s Self-Portrait with Orlando at the 44th National Flute Association Convention in San Diego, California. In addition, Jinyoung is the music director of Miclot Production; a nonprofit theater organization where she collaborates theatrical plays with live instrumental performances.

As an accomplished soloist and orchestral musician, Jinyoung is the winner of the Piccolo Masterclass Competition at the 43rd NFA Convention held in Washington, D.C. She travels globally every year, notably teaching at the 35th Concert World Jeju Music Festival in South Korea and at the Festival MusicAlp in France, where she studied with professors from the Paris Conservatory. Jinyoung was also invited to perform at Treetops Chamber Music Society where she played in the masterclass with renowned musician Charles Neidich. She had also played in the masterclasses for the Berlin Wind Quartet, Laurie Sokoloff, Jennifer Gunn, Susan Hoeppner, and Gary Schocker. She has performed several recitals and concerts at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, Werner Recital Hall, Watson Hall, Cohen Studio Theater, Hubbard Recital Hall, and the Purchase Recital Hall.

Jinyoung's musical education started at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, then continued on to Manhattan School of Music, Pre-College studying under Soo-Kyung Park and Bonnie Lichter. She earned both her BM and MM in Flute Performance at SUNY Purchase under Dr. Tara O’Connor. She then attended New York University for her Advanced Certificate while serving as an adjunct instructor at NYU’s Steinhardt School. She received her DMA in flute performance at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Dr. Bradley Garner.

Jinyoung has been the recipient of numerous awards, including Achievement in Chamber Music from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Sydney O. Perlman Award for Advancement in Music, and LaGuardia Outstanding Performance Award. In addition to New York Flutists and Floutes ensemble, she holds assistant principle position at the New York Wind Orchestra.

Flutist Jisun Park earned her Bachelors and Master Degrees at Kwandong University in Korea under the instruction of Yong Chan Park, Dong Soo Kim and Young Joo Kim. Upon graduating, she continued her studies with Philippe Lesgourgues, and C. Reich Bouveresse at the Ecole Nationale de musique de Gennevilliers in France, where she received her diploma. 

Jisun won several music competitions around the world, including first prize at the Leopold-Bellan International Competition in France, second prize at Gangwon woodwind competition in South Korea, and first prize at the Korean Music Association in South Korea.

An accomplished soloist, Jisun performed with the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria and Chungnam Philharmonic Orchestra in Korea. As a recitalist, she was featured in the 5th Music Festival of the Next Generation, Eumak Journal Shinchoon Concert and Gangwon MBC Debut Concert in Korea. In 2001, she served as a member of Gangneung Philharmonic Orchestra in Korea for 3 years and as a guest member of the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra. 

Currently, Jisun runs a private studio in New Jersey, and is a performing instructor at the AACC Youth Orchestra.

Flutist Soo-Kyung Park enjoys a multi-faceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, artistic director, producer, and teacher. Upon arriving in United States in 1984, Ms. Park was accepted at The Juilliard School in the Pre-College Division, where she studied with Bonnie Lichter. She continued her studies at The Juilliard School where she earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Performance under the tutelage of Julius Baker and Jeanne Baxtresser. Ms. Park has performed solo and chamber music concerts throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Her recent performances include a solo performance with the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra at IBK Hall in Seoul and two double concerto performances each with Keith Underwood and Carol Wincenc in New York and Utah. Her performances also extend beyond the stage to recordings, and she released her first album “Reminiscing” under SONY Korea label in 2013. Highly in demand as an instructor, Ms. Park has taught master classes in the United States, Europe, and Korea. She is currently an Artist Professor at New York University as well as a faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music, Pre-College Division. She also serves as faculty at The Consummate Flutist in Pittsburgh. Ms. Park is also an enthusiastic advocate of chamber music. As the founding member and artistic director of the Musicians of Lenox Hill, she has led the ensemble for annual performances at the Temple of Israel in NYC for more than two decades. She is also a founder of New York Flutists, a flute ensemble based in New York City. www.skpmusicians.com

Jennifer Jo is a Korean-American flutist studying at Carnegie Mellon University. In 2017, she performed as a soloist with the Carnegie Mellon University Wind Ensemble, after winning the School of Music Concerto Competition. Jennifer made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 17. This past summer, she attended the Talis Festival & Academy in Switzerland as a full-scholarship Academy Fellow, where she collaborated in concerts with musicians of the Metropolitan Opera, Berlin Opera, London Symphony, and Hong Kong Philharmonic.

Most recently, Jennifer has been selected as the First Prize winner of the South Carolina Flute Society competition, Semi-Finalist for the 2018 Classics Alive Young Artists Auditions, Winner of the 2016 National YoungArts Foundation, International United States Open Music Competition, winner of the 2014 American Protégé International Concerto Competition, and Honorable Mention in the 2016 Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition. Additionally, Jennifer has been selected for prestigious international and national summer festivals, including fellowships from the Tails Festival and Academy, National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Tanglewood Young Artists’ Orchestra, and the Domaine Forget International Music Festival in Quebec, where she played for flutists Emmanuel Pahud and Denis Bouriakov. She currently studies under the tutelage of Alberto Almarza, including major influences from Jeanne Baxtresser and Lorna McGhee.

SungAe Song is a South Korean flutist and traverso player who has been appointed as second flutist of the Mankato Symphony Orchestra since the 2017-2018 season. She is an instructor of flute at St. Paul School of Music in Minnesota and also maintains a private teaching studio for both Classical and Baroque flute.

A passionate soloist, Song won various music competitions in South Korea. While she was studying with Hye-Ran Park at SungShin Women’s University, she gave a debut concert performance as one of few outstanding students chosen by faculty within the various universities in Seoul. She won positions with the Seoul Academy Orchestra, SeongNam Philharmonic Orchestra, and Gwacheon Symphony Orchestra within four years following her graduation from SungShin while also launching her teaching career.

Song moved to New York to study with Judith Mendenhall and earned her Master of Music degree and Professional Studies Diploma from Mannes School of Music. While at Mannes, she participated in masterclasses and music festivals taught by artists such as Jeanne Baxtresser, Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, Karl-Heinz Schütz. She also performed several recitals and concerts in New York’s Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Mannes Concert Hall, and Symphony Space Hall. She received first prize in New York Artists International Competition and performed a winners concert at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

Following her studies at Mannes, Song attended University of Minnesota with a CLA fellowship and earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree under Immanuel Davis. While pursuing her DMA, she began to explore the Baroque flute and showcased many Baroque pieces on her solo and chamber concerts. She has participated in the Twin Cities Baroque Instrumental Program to expand her passion while learning from Wilbert Hazelzet, a professor at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague.

In addition to playing with the Mankato Symphony, Song has been a Baroque flutist with the Oratory Bach Ensemble since 2017. She is also one of the directors of the Korean Flute Society and the Korean Flute Association. When away from the flute, Song enjoys embroidery and crochet and likes to create delicious meals in the kitchen.

Originally from Hefei, Anhui province in China, flutist Zimeng Wang now resides in New York while attending New York University. She began studying the flute at age 12 with Zhuang Tianand earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Performance with Jie Han from the University of Xiamen in China. A passionate learner, she became the principal flute of her school’s orchestra by the third year of her undergraduate career. She recently claimed first place in the 2018 Elite International Music Competition in New York. Her teachers in US include Cleo Leung and Soo-Kyung Park.

Zimeng is also enthusiastic in research and is an avid writer. In addition to her studies in music performance, she has conducted a research project on traditional Chinese music. She is the author of her own blog now on its third year, and she has been published on China National Travel magazine in 2016, which featured her article describing her experience of traveling in Japan.

A Taiwan native, Yuna Yen-Yu Chen received her Master’s degree in flute performance from New York University with a Music Talent Scholarship studying with Gary Schocker and Yoobin Son.

Yuna served as associate principal flute in the NYU Orchestra and has performed with the Gateway Orchestra. She was involved in various chamber ensemble settings including the new music ensemble at NYU. Her ensemble was invited to perform at many different events in New York City including the International Computer Music Conference and the New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival in 2019. She has had the honor of working closely with renowned computer electronic music composers including Robert Dick, Eric Lyon, and Jorge Sosa.

Back in Taiwan, Yuna won numerous competitions including the NTTU Woodwind Concerto Competition, National Elite Flute Competition, and the National Music Competition. She also worked as a part-time music teacher at a public school and pre-school. Yuna currently freelances in New York City and teaches flute and piano at the Tian Song Musical Arts in Brooklyn.

Flutist and self-taught artist Lareine Han has extensive domestic and international experience in magazines, artist management, marketing, concert promotion, instrument repair, sales, performing, education, consulting, and more. With formal studies of the flute starting at the age of 16 with flutist Ui-Kyung Park in Seoul, Han has studied the flute in all of its diverse facets.

Han received her Master's degree in Flute Performance under the tutelage of Soo-Kyung Park and Keith Underwood at New York University, where she served as an adjunct instructor. Han has an exceptionally strong ardor for baroque flute. She've had private studies with baroque flutist David Ross in NYC. Han received her Bachelor's Degree in Flute Performance and Music Education at Konkuk University in Seoul, studying with flutists Sooann Chung and Soohyun Paik.

During her last year in undergraduate studies, Han started working at several production agencies for a heuristic approach to self-discovery. With growing enthusiasm in the profession and arts industry, she continued her Master's Degree in Art Administration at Ewha Women's University in Seoul while working as the Chief Coordinator at a Korean flute magazine company and the Korea Flute Educators Association. Han’s work helped the magazine “Flute & Flutist” develop its contents.

Since Han moved to the United States in 2013, she has often shared and developed her various talents by collaborating with artists and companies in diverse fields. She has also become a disciple of the best flute technician Yongin Namkung in NYC, and Straubinger Flutes in Indianapolis, IN, and has been serving as a managing director at SKP Consulting and Management (flute education & career-related consulting and management). Han served as a faculty member at the Music Department of Molloy College (Long Island, NY) and currently live in Flagstaff Arizona with her family.

Taiwanese-American flutist Hurlie Yang is a Master’s student at New York University, majoring in Instrumental Performance under Professor Soo-Kyung Park. Though she is primarily a flutist, she can also play the piano. Hurlie previously studied at Penn State University where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Music Performance with Dr. Naomi Seidman. In 2016, Hurlie was awarded the Marjorie Jane Brewster Memorial Scholarship, and received the Dorothy B. O'Connor Undergraduate Scholarship in 2014. Her ensemble experiences include participation in the NYU Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Ensemble, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and Flute Choir.

Hurlie received private instruction and performed in materclasses with Eleanor Armstrong, Tara Helen O'Connor, Marina Piccinini and Carol Wincenc. In the summer of 2015, she performed at the National Flute Association Convention in Washington D.C. and in the summer of 2018, Hurlie was a private flute instructor at Apex for Youth for their summer program in Manhattan.

Flutist Chia-Wei (Ashley) Yeh is currently working toward a Master’s degree in Instrumental Performance at New York University, studying flute and baroque flute with Keith Underwood. She performs frequently with the NYU Orchestra, the NYU New Music Ensemble, and various chamber ensembles. She also teaches private flute lessons as an adjunct instructor at NYU.

Born in Taiwan and raised in Hong Kong, Chia-Wei first started the violin at the age of five and then started the flute in sixth grade. After a few years, she decided to continue her studies back in Taiwan, attending the Hwa Kang Arts School. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance at the National Taiwan University of Arts studying with Chi-Min Hsu and holds a minor in piano performance.

An avid chamber musician, Chia-Wei participated in various ensembles in Taiwan including the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Ensemble. Her wind quintet was awarded first place for two consecutive years in the National Taiwan Student Music Competition. She also performed at the Taiwan National Day Celebration Ceremony, Gounod’s opera “Faust” at National Taichung Theatre, and the Academic Exchange Program Concert at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

Born in South Korea, flutist Mina Kyoung began playing the flute at age 10. She graduated from the Sunhwa Arts High School and received her Bachelor of Music degree from Sungshin Women’s University. She continued her studies in the United States attending Queens College earning a Graduate Certificate in performance. She studied under the tutelage of Dongsoo Kim, Jae-Lyoung La, Sangeun Lee, and Judith Mendenhall.

Mina won numerous competitions in Korea including Benefactor of Talent by the Seoul Metropolitan City West Division, Music Journal's National Student Music Competition, Paju National Music Competition, and the Music Education Press Competition.

Eager to discover a wide repertoire of works, Mina performed various contemporary works with Michael Lipsey and accompanied J. S. Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 2 as a soloist at the Lefrak Concert Hall. She also performed in various chamber ensembles including clarinet duo recital, wind ensemble, and new music with percussion. As a member of the KFEA Flute Orchestra, she was invited to perform at the Convention of the Association of Flutists in Barcelona and the Beijing International Flute Convention.

Mina is currently a member of the New York Wind Orchestra and the World Milal Symphonic Orchestra which recently performed at Carnegie Hall. She works as a flute instructor in Long Island and serves as music director of the New Heart Mission Church.

Flutist Min Ji Kwon enjoys her musical journey as a performer and educator. She started playing piano at age 5 and began flute at the age of 10.

After graduating from the Seoul Arts High School in Korea, she moved to the United States to expand her musical horizons. She earned her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studying with Jonathan Keeble. She then completed her Doctorate degree at Rutgers University receiving the James Bryan and Elizabeth Noris Noe Award, studying with Bart Feller.

Min Ji made her solo debut with the Korean American Symphony Orchestra in Korea. She participated in numerous music festivals including the Illinois Music Education Conference, Illinois Flute Society Festival, and the Pierre Monteux Summer Music Festival as an Ensemble Tremblay scholarship recipient. She performed in masterclasses by renowned flutists including Bonita Boyd, Chang Kook Kim, Walfird Kujala, Karl-Heinz Schutz, and Mark Sparks.

Min Ji recently gave a duo recital for flute and piano in Montclair, New Jersey where she played all Debussy transcriptions for flute and piano, commemorating his 100-year anniversary.

Flutist Jessica Yang is an active performer, educator, and arts manager in New York City. She has been featured as a concerto soloist with the Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra (Nevada City, CA) and the Carnegie Mellon School of Music’s Baroque Orchestra.

As an orchestral musician, Jessica has performed with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, Bowdoin International Music Festival Orchestra, and the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra. She has presented recitals and arts management lectures throughout the United States and was most recently featured as a guest soloist at the North America Chorus Association’s season finale concert.

Jessica received her Accelerated Master’s in Arts Management, Bachelor’s in Flute Performance, and Minor in Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and her High School Diploma from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. She is wholly indebted to her teachers, Alberto Almarza, Jeanne Baxtresser, and Tadeu Coelho.

As an arts manager, Jessica currently serves as the Manager of Stewardship and Donor Communications at The New School. She has also worked at Midori & Friends, Brevard Music Center, Carnegie Mellon School of Music, and Boston Ballet in both fundraising and marketing capacities.