Peter Park is the new director of orchestras at Mira Costa High School. Mr. Park graduated from UCLA with high honors with a dual emphasis in music education, under the mentorship of Gerald and Linda Anderson, and percussion performance, under the tutelage of Mitchell Peters. He earned his M.Ed. from UCLA’s School of Education & Information Studies while re-pursuing studies on his first instrument, the violin. During this time, Mr. Park earned top prizes in the Grancell Foundation Solo Competition and the Atwater Kent Solo Competition. He has also had the pleasure of performing with several outstanding orchestras, including the San Francisco Symphony and the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra. Collaborations with internationally renowned conductors include Herbert Blomstedt, Zubin Mehta, Placido Domingo, and Seiji Ozawa.

Before joining the Mira Costa music faculty, Mr. Park taught in the El Segundo Unified School District as the music director at El Segundo High School, and in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District for the past 12 years, taking over as director of orchestras at Lincoln Middle School from Mira Costa’s own Christopher Schwabe. Under Mr. Park’s guidance, the Lincoln Orchestra Program has prospered over the years through consistent superior ratings at district and regional festivals, and presentations at professional conferences.

In addition to teaching in public schools, Mr. Park has served as clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor for several organizations and school districts in Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, and throughout California. In January 2009, Mr. Park was invited to conduct the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association's (SCSBOA) All-Southern Honor String Orchestra, becoming the youngest conductor in the 72 year history of the association to be selected for this honor.  He has also mentored several apprentice teachers from CSULA, UCLA, and USC.