K-classic sweeps international concours

Korean musicians won in prestigious international music concours. Cellist Han Jae-min (15) won in the George Enescu International Competition held in Bucharest, Romania on Saturday (local time), which made him the youngest winner in its 63 years of history. He received 15,000 euros and invitations to various musical events including the 2022 George Enescu Festival. He is currently practicing under Lee Kang-ho in the Korea National University of Arts after graduating from the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts. He won in the 2017 David Popper International Cello Competition and the 2019 Dotzauer Cello Concour. 　

Pianist Kim Su-yeon (27) won in the Concours musical international de Montréal held in Montreal, Canada on Friday. The competition was held online due to COVID-19. Kim received 30,000 Canadian dollars and additional 15,000 dollars as a support fund for record production and concerts. She also has an opportunity to have a tour in North America with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Kim is currently enrolled in the Mozarteum University of Salzburg, Austria and won in the 2014 J.N. Hummel International Piano Competition and advanced to the semifinals in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium this year. 　

Pianist Lee Dong-ha (27) won in the Prague Spring International Music Competition held in Prague, the Czech Republic, and Lee Jae-young (26) and Zukal Matous from the Czech Republic tied for second on the same day. Lee Dong-ha acquired a master’s degree from the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media after graduating from the College of Music, Yonsei University, and is currently enrolled in the Musikhochschule Münster in Germany for a doctorate. 　

The Arete String Quartet won the first prize and five special prizes in the Prague Spring International Music Competition on Thursday. The quartet has cellist Park Sung-hyun (28), violinist Jeon Chae-an (24), Kim Dong-hui (26) and violist Jang Yoon-seon (26) as members. Violinist Kim Jae-young of the Novus Quartet and Christoph Poppen, a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich, are teaching them.


gustav@donga.com