Dong Hyun Kang

Born in South Korea, Dong Hyun Kang is a conductor, pianist, and educator. He is currently studying conducting in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at University of North Texas: Choral Conducting as the major area and Orchestral Conducting as the related field. In 2023, he earned his master’s degree in Choral Conducting with the related field in Orchestral Conducting at the university. As a teaching assistant, he has served various roles: Conducting Associate for A Cappella Choir and Vox Aquilae, Collaborative Pianist for A Cappella Choir, Grand Chorus, Concert Choir, Kalandra, and Camerata, and Coordinator for Grand Chorus and Conductors’ Chorus. He is also Director of Music in Flower Mound Korean Church, where he serves as a conductor for the church choir and the youth orchestra. In 2020-2021, he studied conducting and theology of music in the Master of Music in Church Music program (Conducting Concentration) at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary while shaping theological understandings on music and its related topics. In 2015-2020, he served as a conductor for the church choir and orchestra at Power Mission Baptist Church of Cincinnati. He holds memberships in International Conductors Guild, American Choral Directors Association, National Collegiate Choral Organization, Texas Choral Directors Association, and Society of Pi Kappa Lambda. His conducting teachers include Allen Hightower, Marques Garrett, David Itkin, Clay Couturiaux, Kristina MacMullen, Markand Thakar, Aik Khai Pung, Mark Gibson, Brett Scott, Annunziata Tomaro, Huan Jing, Charles Peltz, and Erica Washburn.

Kang’s musical training is extended to piano performance. He began his musical education with the piano at age 7 and first appeared in a public concert at age 15 with Seoul Symphony Orchestra in Seoul Arts Center. Since then, he has performed in various venues and won prizes in national or international competitions in South Korea and the United States. He holds degrees in piano performance from Seoul National University, Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, and University of Cincinnati and a graduate diploma from New England Conservatory of Music. He has a particular interest in the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, which led him to present a lecture recital and produce a document on the composer’s music for his doctoral degree at University of Cincinnati. He served as a graduate assistant to teach piano for undergraduate and graduate students at the university. In his studios, he taught numerous piano students over 16 years. In 2020-2021, he was an Adjunct Professor of Piano and Staff Accompanist at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His primary piano teachers include James Tocco, Eugene Pridonoff, Gabriel Chodos, Seth Knopp, Hyung Bae Kim, and Young-Mee Yun.