Elliott Bark

Described by the New York Times as “…abrasive outbursts…monstrous climax…yearning melody in a rapturous surge,” music by Dr. Elliott Bark has been performed in many venues, such as Stern Auditorium and Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, Segerstrom Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Sejong Center, Aspen Music Festival, to name a few.

Dr. Bark has worked with many groups, including Pacific Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, 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, Zzyzx Saxophone Quartet and Akropolis Reed Quintet.

Named the youngest two-time recipient (2012, 2014) of The Korean National Composer Prize (the most prestigious award for Korean composers), Dr. Bark received Susan and Ford Schumann Fellowship from Aspen Music Festival and School and numerous prizes including 2016 Agape International Church Music Composition Competition & Festival, 2013 Indiana University Dean’s Prize, 2010 Bowdoin International Music Festival Composition Competition, 2009 First Music Commission, 2008 Kuttner Quartet Composition Competition, 2007 Beethoven Club Composition Contest and 2003 Korean Episcopal Church Composition Competition. He has been commissioned by The New York Classical Players (for Grammy-nominated flutist Carol Wincenc), Barkada Saxophone Quartet (Fischoff Competition Grand Prize Winner), and Linda Strommen (Indiana University Oboe Professor), among many others.

Dr. Bark is currently the Director of Music and Composer-in-residence at Crean Lutheran High School and an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University, Biola University, and Concordia University Irvine. He received his doctoral degree in composition from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music 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 studied instrumental conducting with David Effron, Arthur Fagen, and Cliff Colnot.