Yunhee K
Instruments: Piano
Styles: Classical, Jazz, Pop, Blues, Gospel, New Age
Yunhee K
Instruments: Piano
Styles:
Classical, Jazz, Pop, Blues, Gospel, New Age
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 5-80
Doctoral Degree: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Master Degree: University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
1st Prize, East Coast International Competition (2022)
1st Prize, ISMTA Collegiate Piano Competition (2013)
3rd Prize, Korea-China International Music Competition (2020)
3rd Prize, New York Artists International Competition (2018)
Winner, Summer Piano Institute Concerto Competition, UIUC (2018)
Dr. Yunhee K. is an accomplished pianist, educator, and collaborative artist whose career combines performance, pedagogy, and scholarship. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Literature with a cognate in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also earned a Master of Music in Piano Pedagogy from UIUC, a Master of Music in Piano Performance from Western Illinois University, and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul, Korea.
Dr. Yunhee K. taught piano for over 15 years across diverse settings. Most recently, she served as Assistant Professor of Music at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, teaching applied music lessons, class piano, and online music appreciation while also serving as a collaborative pianist for choirs, student recitals, and faculty performances. She previously taught as Adjunct Lecturer in Piano and Staff Pianist at Merrimack College, where she guided students in applied piano and collaborative work, and as Adjunct Piano Instructor at Magdalen College. Her teaching experience also includes group keyboard instruction for high school students at the Illinois Summer Youth Music Camp and applied lessons for UIUC’s Piano Laboratory Program. She has maintained a thriving private studio since 2008, teaching students from beginner to conservatory level, including students at UIUC, Harvard, and the New England Conservatory.
I emphasize physical relaxation and efficient movement to help students play comfortably and master technical passages. Integrating the principles of moving the wrist, arm, and elbow fluidly ahead of the hand to produce even tone and clear voicing, has helped my students overcome technical challenges with greater ease. I also focus on making musical phrasing and interpretive nuance, by exploring rubato, which avoids making music sound mechanical but as if speaking naturally. This approach helped my students cultivate a more lyrical and expressive tone.
One of my strengths as a teacher is adaptability. I teach interactively and flexibly, tailoring instruction to each student’s individual needs and learning style. For students with limited background, I assign simplified arrangements of familiar pieces to sustain motivation. Lastly, I strive to make students feel a sense of fulfillment and motivation while studying with me. I assign goals that are attainable for each student, including giving public performances and participating in competitions whenever possible, as students make remarkable progress by observing peers and performing regularly.
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