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SENDAI, JAPAN

Memories from Sendai

Artists
Competitions

Violinist Moon Boha speaks about her recent experiences at the Sendai International Music Comptetition

WFIMC: You’re speaking to us from Philadelphia. How is life there, and how are you finding Curtis and your studies with Ida Kavafian? 

Moon Boha: It’s wintery — we had a snowstorm recently and there’s still snow on the streets — but I live in the center of the city and I really like the energy here. I’ve been in the United States for three years and it already feels like home! Curtis is a remarkable environment: intense, concentrated, full of talented students and great teachers. My teacher, Prof. Kavafian is deeply committed to her students — very attentive, appropriately demanding when needed and always caring and supportive. Her guidance has been hugely important for me.

 

Tell us a bit more about the Sendai International Music Competition. What stayed with you most: the music, the organisation, the people? 

All three mattered, but what remains most vivid are the people at the event. Sendai is impeccably organised — schedules, logistics, rehearsal times were clear, which helped me focus — yet it never felt cold. The staff, the Sendai Philharmonic and Maestro Junichi Hirokami were always warm and encouraging throughout the three-week programme. 

Musically, the rounds were quite intense: I played the Dvořák Violin Concerto in the semi-final, and Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy in the final, both with orchestra, which added pressure but also felt like a real reward. Mr. Hirokami brought both musical insights and a certain “take-it-easy” attitude — with his pianica (a small instrument he used to sing lines), with his jokes backstage — that eased nerves and allowed me to play more freely.

Moon Boha performing at the Sendai Intl. Music Competition with the conductor Junichi Hirokami and the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra

The jury decided not to award a first prize and you received second. How did you process that, and what did the interaction with the jury feel like? 

As this was my first adult competition, I was genuinely delighted simply to receive an award. I fully respect the jury’s decision and took it as motivation to continue working. There were opportunities to speak with jurors at the prize ceremony, and the panel felt professional and balanced. Ultimately, competition outcomes are always somewhat beyond a player’s control — the constructive response is to focus on artistic progress.

 

How did previous competitions prepare you for Sendai, and what felt new? 

Previous competitions helped me become accustomed to being evaluated, but many recent events were online because of COVID. Sendai was my first, major in-person competition since 2019, so returning to a live stage with an audience and full orchestra felt different in the best way — more immediate and human. That shift from recording alone to performing live changed how I approached presence and communication on stage.

 

Sendai has a reputation for being highly efficient — but some people say that risks being a bit impersonal. What was your experience of the organisers and day-to-day life there? 

I found the organisation a big plus, not a limitation. Knowing exactly when and where to be, what repertoire was required and having rehearsals run on time let me plan practice very efficiently. Especially when I returned to Sendai later to perform as a competition winner, the team took such good care of me: they arranged meals, suggested sightseeing ideas and checked on our wellbeing. So that efficiency really supported, not replaced, a warm atmosphere. I’m very thankful to the team for their warm support. 

 

Final round at the Sendai International Music Competition

How long were you in Sendai, and what practical opportunities followed the competition? 

I stayed about three weeks for the competition and returned in November–December for concerts and a two-day CD recording. As the highest prize winner I received three official concerts; beyond that, invitations have continued to accumulate. The competition has clearly opened a lot of doors! 

 

How do you choose which competitions to enter? Does the jury line-up influence you at all? 

I choose strategically. I look closely at repertoire requirements, how realistic it is to prepare them given my calendar, and whether I can arrive fully ready. I avoid competitions if my schedule would be overloaded. 

The jury is not really a deciding factor for me; I like to go for the artistic opportunity and the challenge itself.

 

Semifinal round at the Sendai International Music Competition

At Curtis you’re surrounded by prominent faculty. Do you have much contact with them beyond your studio?

Lessons are primarily private, so we don’t routinely sit in on each other’s classes. However, I am well aware that all of the faculties contribute to the unique musical excellence of Curtis, and I hold them in the highest respect. There are moments of cross-contact at school events, but day-to-day study is focused within one’s own studio.

 

How long have you been at Curtis, and what are your study plans after the Bachelor’s?

I’ve been in Philadelphia three years. My first year combined finishing high school with the Young Artist Program; I’m now in my second year of the Bachelor’s. I plan to pursue a Master’s degree but haven’t decided where yet — I’m weighing a few programs and locations at the moment.

At the Curtis Institute of Music with Professor Ida Kavafian

You’re Korean but have spent much of your life abroad. How has that changed you? 

My family is in Korea and I return during school breaks, so I always remain connected. Living abroad — in Prague before the United States — has really become part of my life. Prague was beautiful, but the 2021 move coincided with COVID restrictions, which made logistics and finding a teacher very - difficult. But thankfully in the end, I met my amazing teacher, who helped me adapt to the music of the Czech Republic quickly and continue my musical journey well. Those experiences taught me to adapt and to try and be resilient! 

 

You studied with the late Nam Yun Kim. What influence did she have on you? 

Someone says she was very demanding, but I can say she was deeply caring. When I think of her, tears come before word. Her high standards came from a place of love and commitment; she invested incredible energy in her students. Her encouragement made me want to work harder and take responsibility for my music. Her influence is truly a permanent one!

With Nam Yun Kim at the Ishikawa Music Academy, honored with the Ishikawa Music Award in 2019

Any small, fun memories from Sendai — outside the concert hall? 

A very simple one: my favourite Sushi restaurant, in the Parco 2 shopping centre. I tried many varieties I’d never had before, loved it, and the experience completely transformed how I think about sushi!

 

Looking ahead, what are your artistic ambitions beyond competitions? 

I want to communicate honestly and directly through my playing, to convey emotions and stories, so listeners feel moved and uplifted. My aim is to play widely, grow musically, and connect with audiences in an inspiring and meaningful way.

 

Born in South Korea in 2006, Moon Boha is a prizewinning violinist based at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studies with Professor Ida Kavafian (since 2023). Her earlier training includes studies with Pierre Amoyal (Mozarteum University Precollege), Josef Špaček (Prague), the late Nam-yun Kim (Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts) and Anat Malkin Almani (Manhattan School of Music Precollege).

Moon has received top awards in numerous national and international competitions: first prizes at Ewha-Kyunghyang (2018), Singapore Violin Festival (2019), Ishikawa Music Award (2019, Japan), and others. She is a laureate of the Leonid Kogan Competition (2nd prize, 2020), the Menuhin Competition (5th prize, 2021), the Zhuhai Mozart Competition (2nd prize, 2022) and Sendai (2nd prize, 2025; highest-ranked prizewinner).

Selected engagements include solo appearances at Carnegie Hall (Winners’ Concert, 2017), Rudolfinum Dvořák Hall (Young Praha Festival, 2022), Lotte Concert Hall and MKZ Zurich (2022). Moon has participated in masterclasses with Mihaela Martin, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Martin Beaver and others. 

Since October 2025 she performs on the 1709 “Engleman” Stradivarius, generously on loan by the Sasakawa Music Foundation.

 

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