Young-Dae Park was born in Korea. He studied violin in Toronto at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Before joining the TSO in 1979, he had served as concert master of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, the Stratford Festival Ensemble and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra- where he also appeared as soloist. He has coached the string members of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. and taught violin at Wilfred Laurier University.