Birth

:

1989 in Anyang, South Korea

 

Yekwon Sunwoo is a South Korean classical pianist who has gained international recognition for his exceptional talent and musicality. Born on July 2, 1989, in Anyang, South Korea, Sunwoo began playing the piano at the age of eight and quickly showed a natural aptitude for the instrument. He received his early musical training at the Sunhwa Arts School in Seoul, where he studied with Professor Choong-Mo Kang. Sunwoo's talent was evident from an early age, and he began to win numerous awards and competitions in his home country. In 2004, he won first prize at the Ewha-Kyunghyang Competition, and in 2005, he won the Grand Prize at the Korea Times-Hankook Ilbo Competition. These early successes paved the way for Sunwoo to pursue a career as a professional pianist. In 2006, Sunwoo moved to the United States to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he studied with renowned pianist Seymour Lipkin. During his time at Curtis, Sunwoo continued to win awards and accolades, including first prize at the 2009 William Kapell International Piano Competition and the 2011 Sendai International Music Competition. Sunwoo's breakthrough moment came in 2017 when he won the prestigious Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, one of the most prestigious piano competitions in the world. Sunwoo's performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in the final round of the competition was widely praised for its technical brilliance and emotional depth. The win catapulted Sunwoo to international fame and cemented his reputation as one of the most talented pianists of his generation. Since winning the Van Cliburn Competition, Sunwoo has performed with some of the world's leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also given recitals at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Berlin Philharmonic. Sunwoo's repertoire is wide-ranging, encompassing works by composers from Bach to Ligeti. He is particularly known for his interpretations of the music of Rachmaninoff, whose works he has recorded for the Decca label. Sunwoo's recordings have received critical acclaim, with his debut album, "Clair de Lune," being named one of the best classical recordings of 2017 by The New York Times. In addition to his performing career, Sunwoo is also a dedicated teacher and mentor. He has taught masterclasses at institutions such as the Juilliard School and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, and he is a faculty member at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California. Sunwoo's talent and dedication to his craft have earned him numerous awards and honors throughout his career. In addition to his wins at the Van Cliburn, Kapell, and Sendai competitions, he has been awarded the Arthur Rubinstein Prize, the Vendome Prize, and the Verbier Festival Academy Prize, among others. Despite his many accomplishments, Sunwoo remains humble and focused on his art. He has said that his goal as a musician is to "create a connection with the audience through music," and he strives to achieve this goal in every performance. With his exceptional talent and dedication to his craft, Yekwon Sunwoo is sure to continue to be a major force in the world of classical music for years to come.

More....