NSO Winter Concert

About the soloist

Dr. Sora Park Shepard is a pianist and collegiate educator based in Kansas City. As a concerto soloist, she has performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Western Illinois University Symphony Orchestra, Barber’s Piano Concerto with the UMKC Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, and Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the KU Medical Arts Symphony. Her performances have also taken her to prominent Kansas City venues, including Helzberg Hall and the Folly Theater.

An active collaborative artist, Dr. Shepard has performed with instrumentalists, vocalists, and ensembles across the United States. Her performance engagements include the Carmel Bach Festival in California, as well as appearances associated with the Kansas Music Educators Association, Missouri Choral Directors Association, and Illinois Music Educators Association. She has also collaborated with the Bach Aria Soloists, including performances broadcast on Kansas Public Radio, and Te Deum Chamber Choir.

Dr. Shepard currently serves as organist at Resurrection, a United Methodist Church, at its Brookside location and teaches piano at Metropolitan Community College’s Maple Woods and Longview campuses and the UMKC Academy.

Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Dr. Shepard studied at Hanyang University before continuing her education in the United States. She earned a master’s degree from Western Illinois University, an Artist Diploma from the Conservatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Kansas.