Originally from South Korea, Young Kwon Llerena began studying the piano at age five. When she was eight, she won the second prize at the International Youth Music Competition in Seoul, South Korea. Dr. Kwon won several other piano awards and honors and studied privately at Hochschule für Musik Detmold and Universität der Künste Berlin shortly before receiving her BA in Piano Performance from Chugye University for the Arts in Seoul in 2002. In January 2003, with the recommendation of Rev. Young Kil Lee, Dr. Kwon came to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and earned her MM in Church Music and completed her DMA in Piano Performance in 2009 studying under Dr. Robert Smith. She also studied the organ with Dr. Al Travis and held her organ recital in 2007. At the seminary, Dr. Kwon played for Southwestern Singers, King’s Praise and Master Chorale (Oratorio Chorus) under the direction of Dr. David Keith, Dr. Michael Cox and Dr. David Thye and actively worked as a collaborator for singers, instrumentalists and ensembles.Dr. Kwon received Wayne Polly McNeely Piano Award, James McKinney Outstanding Performer Award, Academic Achievement Awards and Melba Justice International Student Award and was invited to perform Mozart piano concerto for two pianos with Dr. Robert Smith and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Performance Hall for the Southwestern Seminary’s gala concert. Dr. Kwon has worked as an adjunct piano professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and also as an instructor and director at Southwestern Music Academy. She has been extensively performing as a concert pianist and toured in United States, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, Prague and Korea and recently, she performed and taught a piano masterclass at Singapore Raffles Music College. Currently, Dr. Kwon plays at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth maintaining her performance and teaching actively throughout the US and abroad.

“Ode to Feelings” | all roads will lead you home | 1