Yeon-Hee Kwak
Yeon-Hee Kwak was born in Seoul, Korea. After completing her studies at Hanyang University in Seoul she came to Germany, where she received her diploma in solo oboe by Prof. Ingo Goritzki from the State Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart in 2000.
In 1995, Yeon-Hee Kwak won first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Lodz, Poland and the Rotary Encouragement Prize in Stuttgart. One year later she was a prize-winner at the International Music Competition in Bayreuth. In 1997, she won, in rapid succession, the German Academy Competition in Würzburg and the International Sony Competition in Tokyo. In September of 1998 she was awarded the 11th Prix Davidoff, which is presented annually by the Reemtsma Company for outstanding instrumental performance.
In 2001, Yeon-Hee Kwak received the "Echo Klassik" German Recording Prize for best promising young artist for her CD featuring works by Antonino Pasculli. She recieved another "Echo Klassik" award in 2007 in category "Instrumentalist of the year" for the "Oboe solo" CD with compositions by J. S. Bach, Gilles Silvestrini and Astor Piazzola, also released by MDG. The attention-getting recording of the complete chamber works of Antal Dorati was received by the professional press with enthusiastic write-ups.
Yeon-Hee Kwak has performed as soloist with the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, the Arcata Chamber Orchestra of Stuttgart, the Camerata Hanseatica in Danzig, the KBS Seoul Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Korean Symphony Orchestra in Seoul, the German Chamber Academy in Neuss and the German Bach Soloists. She has been a guest at international festivals in Europe: Eckelshausen Music Days, European Music Festifal in Stuttgart, "Wechselströme, Ostasien + ..." in Berlin, Classic Festival in Rottweil, the United States (Oregon Bach Festival) and Korea (ICM Chamber Music Festival in Seoul).
From 2000 to 2008, Yeon-Hee Kwak has been deputy principal oboist in the Münchner Rundfunkorchester and on the faculty at the State Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Stuttgart.
Since 2007 Yeon-Hee Kwak plays an instrument by Ludwig Frank.