About Jennifer
Asked whether she can tell in the first months which students will go far, Jennifer says no. It does not show that early.
What she watches for instead is whether a student keeps going. Talent that stops does not amount to much, and she has seen enough of both to be certain of it. The one requirement here is practice rather than ability.
Asked what she would want a student to still have twenty years later, she answers in two words. Work ethic.
Where she studied
Jennifer was one of the first students admitted to the School of Music at the Korea National University of Arts when it opened in March 1993, and one of only two admitted at high school age. She studied there with Kim Dae-jin, who later taught Yeol Eum Son and is now president of the university. She was his first high school student.
She went on to Kyungwon University, where she graduated with highest honors and studied with Shin Soo-jung, the teacher who trained Seong-Jin Cho.
She holds a Master's degree and a Professional Studies certificate from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied with Marc Silverman as a scholarship student.
Still performing, still studying
In 2016 and 2017 Jennifer took part in the Teachers Program at PianoTexas, performing and taking master classes herself. That is where she began studying with Tamás Ungár, the festival's founder and artistic director. She has gone back nearly every year since, sometimes bringing advanced students so they can be taught by him directly while she watches.
In 2017 she won First Prize in the Professional Division of the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition.
Recognition
Jennifer was named to the Steinway & Sons Music Teacher Hall of Fame in 2023, and a Steinway & Sons Top Piano Teacher in 2021 and 2022.
My son, who is currently attending Harvard University, often reflects on his years of studying piano with Jennifer and says that some of the most valuable lessons he learned about discipline, perseverance, and approaching life with purpose came from his time with her.
Deeper knowledge and appreciation for music, hard work, ability to perform under pressure, and improved dexterity.