Degrees Earned
B.M. in Piano Performance, the Juilliard School
M.M. and Graduate Diploma in Piano Performance, New England Conservatory of Music
D.M.A. in Piano Performance, Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University
Biography
Praised for her “thrilling blend of fury and finesse” (San Antonio Express-News) and her “winning combination of passion, imagination, and integrity” (New York Concert Review), pianist Young-Ah Tak enjoys a remarkable career that has taken her throughout the United States, Canada, Austria, Germany, Italy, Korea, and Japan.
Dr. Tak made her New York City debut at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ Alice Tully Hall with the Juilliard Orchestra. She has since appeared in the United States with the Roanoke, Lansing, Imperial, Venice, North Arkansas, NEC, and Crane symphony orchestras. She has appeared abroad with Filharmonia Pomorska (Poland), Oltenia Philharmonic (Romania) and, in Korea, with the Seongnam, Busan, Ulsan, KNN philharmonic orchestras, and the Korean Symphony Orchestra. And she has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Kimmel Center’s Perelman Theater in Philadelphia and the Seoul Arts Center, Jordan Hall in Boston, among others.
She has also appeared at major concert halls and international music festivals in her native Korea, including those of Busan, Seoul, and Tongyeong.
Active as a chamber musician, Young-Ah Tak has collaborated with violinist Robert Mann, cellist Bonnie Hampton, the Ma’alot Quintet, and members of the Florestan Trio. She is also a passionate advocate of contemporary music and has performed at Sequenza 21 and at the Piano Century concert series in New York City. Young-Ah Tak has been awarded top prizes in numerous international competitions, including the San Antonio International Piano Competition (also receiving the “Best Performance of a Classical Work” award).
Dr. Tak was a faculty member at the Preparatory Division of the Peabody Institute, Eastern University, and served as a Founder/Artistic Director of the Eastern University Piano Festival. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of piano at the Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, and is an Artist-in-Residence at Southeastern University.
Dr. Tak’s debut recording of Judith Zaimont’s “Wizards––Three Magic Masters” was released by Albany Records to critical acclaim. Her solo album––performances of compositions by Haydn, Schumann, Liszt, and Kirchner––is available on MSR Classics. Most recently, she has been invited to record for the Steinway’s Spirio catalogue, becoming a Spirio Recording Artist. Dr. Tak is a Steinway Artist. [www.youngahtak.com]
Email: ytak@seu.edu