Elliott Bark

Described by the New York Times as “…yearning melody in a rapturous surge,” music by Elliott Bark (b.1980) has been performed in many venues, such as Stern Auditorium, Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Seoul Arts Center, Sejong Center, the Aspen Music Festival, the Bowdoin International Music Festival and the Korean Composers Festival. Dr. Bark has worked with many groups, including the Pacific Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra members, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, New York Youth Symphony, New York Classical Players, St. Michel Strings (Finland), Gunpo Prime Philharmonic Orchestra (Korea), Goyang Civic Choir (Korea), Soliall Philharmonic Orchestra (Korea), Orquestra Eleazar de Carvalho (Brazil), Petar Jankovic Ensemble, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Juventas New Music Ensemble, Barkada Saxophone Quartet, Zzyzx Saxophone Quartet, French Ensemble Zellig, the Indiana University Orchestra and Saxophone Ensemble, Ensemble Christo, Kuttner and Eppes String Quartets, Arundo Donax, Akropolis Reed Quintet, Luna Nova Chamber Ensemble and duo parnas. 

Dr. Bark, two-time recipient (2012, 2014) of The Korean National Composer Prize (the most prestigious award for Korean composers), received the Susan and Ford Schumann Fellowship from the Aspen Music Festival and School and numerous prizes including the 2016 Agape International Church Music Composition Competition & Festival, the 2013 Indiana University Dean’s Prize, the 2010 Bowdoin International Music Festival Composition Competition, the 2009 First Music Commission, the 2008 Kuttner Quartet Composition Competition, the 2007 Beethoven Club Composition Contest and the 2003 Korean Episcopal Church Composition Competition. 

He has been commissioned by the Pacific Symphony, the New York Classical Players to compose a flute concerto for Grammy-nominated flutist Carol Wincenc, the Barkada Saxophone Quartet (Fischoff Competition Grand Prize Winner), Linda Strommen (Indiana University Oboe Professor), and many others. 

Dr. Bark has held other artistic positions such as pianist in the Republic of Korea Navy Symphonic Band, music director of many churches, and assistant director of Indiana University's New Music Ensemble. As a conductor, he received the 2012 Mrs. Hong Pham New Music Performance Award from Indiana University and directs not only classical repertoire, but has also premiered more than 100 compositions by living composers. In addition, he was the first conductor for the first-ever Double Exposure project, a unique collaboration between composers and film students at Indiana University where live music is performed to silent films.

Dr. Bark currently is the conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), Christian Youth Symphony of Irvine (CYSI), Kenosis Chamber Choir, Ensemble Christo - Los Angeles, Bethel Choir & Orchestra of Bethel Church (Irvine, CA), Seraphim Symphony, and Crean Lutheran High School. He is an adjunct faculty member at Biola University. Dr. Bark received his doctoral degree in composition from Indiana University where he served as an Associate Instructor in the composition department. He has studied composition with Claude Baker, David Dzubay, Don Freund, Jonguk Kim, P.Q. Phan and Sydney Hodkinson and instrumental conducting with David Effron, Arthur Fagen and Cliff Colnot. (www.elliottbark.com)