Jason Kwak
Dr. Jason Kwak is an acclaimed pianist and educator, widely recognized for his contributions to both performance and piano pedagogy. A native of Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Kwak holds degrees in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music and The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied under eminent instructors Barry Snyder and Nancy Garrett. Currently, he holds the title Regents’ and University Distinguished Professor of Piano and serves as the Keyboard Area Coordinator at Texas State University. Prior to his current role, Dr. Kwak lead the piano department at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. His expertise is consistently sought after, as he frequently performs, conducts masterclasses, presents lectures, and serves as an adjudicator across the state, nation, and internationally.
Dr. Kwak has garnered numerous accolades, securing top prizes in piano competitions such as the Atlanta Steinway Society Competition, Handok Piano Competition, Southern Keyboard Competition, Atlanta Music Club, and the Clara Wells Piano Competition. His performance career has taken him to national and international stages, including appearances with esteemed ensembles such as the Victoria Symphony, Jeju Philharmonic Orchestra, Daegu Symphony Orchestra, The University of Texas Wind Ensemble, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Wind Symphony, Amherst Symphony, The Busan Philharmonic Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, and many others. Recent international engagements have included performances in England, Turkey, Germany, Ecuador, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Italy, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Colombia, Norway, and his native South Korea.
Dr. Kwak has also performed at prestigious venues and festivals across the globe, in addition to delivering solo performances at over 50 U.S. and international university campuses. An avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with numerous distinguished artists throughout his career. In 2008, Dr. Kwak co-founded Trio 488 alongside his Texas State University colleagues Dr. Ian Davidson and Professor Daris Hale. The ensemble is dedicated to promoting and commissioning new works for their instrumentation. Trio 488 has performed at significant conferences and festivals, including the College Music Society International Conference, International Double Reed Society Conference, Bear Valley Music Festival, NACUSA International Conference, RioWinds Festival, and the Mysterium of Modern Music Concert series. The trio has commissioned and premiered several new works and has released four commercial recordings.
As a dedicated educator, Dr. Kwak has been recognized for his teaching with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching from Texas State University (2011) and Texas A&M University-Kingsville (2004). Furthermore, in 2021, Dr. Kwak was inducted into the Steinway and Sons Teacher Hall of Fame. His students have consistently excelled, receiving accolades in regional, national, and international competitions with several of his students currently serving as professors in higher education. His contributions to pedagogy have been further recognized through features such as Texas State University’s Profiles in Teaching series.
Currently, Dr. Kwak serves as Director of the renowned Texas State International Piano Festival, now in its fifteenth year, which draws participants from around the world. His dedication to advancing the art of piano performance and pedagogy continues to influence the next generation of musicians both in the United States and internationally.