Wook-Yong Jeon
Composer and Conductor (b. 1973, Changwon, South Korea)

Wook-Yong Jeon is a Korean composer and conductor whose music is distinguished by expressive musical gestures, refined timbral sensitivity, and delicate dynamic control, often developed from small motivic ideas. He studied composition at Changwon National University under In-ho Park, continued his graduate studies at Yeungnam University with Kyu-Yung Chin, and later pursued advanced composition studies at the Hochschule für Musik Detmold in Germany with Martin Christoph Redel. He also studied conducting at Dong-Eui University under Sang-Woon Yoon. His works have been performed at numerous international festivals and competitions, including the Meeting of New Music (Romania), Pan Music Festival (ISCM Korea), Seoul Music Festival, Nanpa Music Festival, The U.N.K New Music Festival V (USA), and the Korean Music Expo, as well as in Denmark, Germany, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan. His composition Intonation for solo trombone was recorded by internationally renowned trombonist Barrie Webb and released on the album Dream Bay by Trombone, UK.

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In 2010, Jeon was selected as a commissioned composer for the 42nd Seoul Music Festival and was invited by the University of Oldenburg in Germany to participate in a composer colloquium. In 2015, his music and artistic vision were featured in the television programme Composer of Our Time produced by Korea National Open University Television. His cantata Happoman, commissioned for the 171st regular concert of the Changwon Municipal Choir in 2016, later received critical acclaim during the choir’s concert tour in Austria. Alongside his compositional career, Jeon has maintained an active conducting profile, serving as conductor of several orchestras and choirs and currently leading the Changwon Women’s Choir, the Gyeongsang Concert Choir, and the Gyeongsang Symphony Orchestra. He has also taught at a number of Korean universities and currently serves as Invited Professor of Composition and Conducting at Changshin University. His recent distinctions include an award at the Franz Schubert International Composition Competition 2026, organised by the World Classical Masters Association (WCMA).