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The Piano Competition in the City of 500 Islands

Competitions
Federation
Tongyeong

UNESCO Creative City of Music Tongyeong presents the 2023 ISANGYUN Competition

 

July 31 will be the application deadline for the ISANGYUN Piano Competition, one of only three major international competitions in South Korea. WFIMCnow spoke with Daejin Kim, Chairman of the Jury at the ISANGYUN. Eminent pianist and a well-known artist himself, Daejin Kim won first prize at the 1985 Robert Casadesus international Piano Competition in Cleveland. Having been music director of the Suwon Philharmonic and Changwon Philharmonic Orchestras as well as a sought-after Professor of Piano, he is currently President of Korea National University of Arts.

WFIMCnow: If I were a pianist, why should I apply to the ISANGYUN Competition?

Daejin Kim: There are only two international piano competitions in South Korea, and this is one of them. As it is not held every year, I think it’s an excellent opportunity for young pianists to experience the country and perform in some great venues. Tongyeong Concert Hall, the main venue, was called “one of the best concert halls, anywhere” by a major German newspaper, and when you arrive in Tongyeong and see the place with your own eyes, you immediately know why.

 

Daejin Kim

It must be quite a nice place…

It is located on a cliff overlooking the ocean and literally hundreds of islands. The view from your dressing room is absolutely stunning, you will not want to leave… but also the hall itself is great. It has wonderful acoustics, a very nice piano, and is a great hall to play in. In fact, I mayself made several recordings in this hall.

For foreigners who don’t know the language and live far away, would you recommend taking part?

The competition pays for your international flights, organises your transfers, provides a free hotel and is very well organised. No need to worry at all. 

What about the repertoire?

Many people will never have a chance to work on composer Isang Yun´s music. Yun was one of the great composers of the last century, and Tongyeong was his hometown. Going there is a great opportunity to experience his music, and find out more about his legacy.

But besides the music of Yun (in any case, only one piece is really mandatory) there is a lot of free choice for your program. 

Are there performance opportunities after the competition?

 

For the winners, there are several opportunities also in other cities in Korea, like Seoul, Busan, Gwangju and Pyeongchang. But first and most importantly, the laureates get to perform in a Winner's Concert at Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall, which is the most important venue in the country and an excellent chance for any artist.

How did Korean students deal with the pandemic?

It is interesting to see how people were dealing with the pandemic. Among my students, there were some that even under these gloomy surroundings, they got very full of energy. I even asked one of them, this is a very difficult time, but you look so happy. What's happening? Then the student told me: "Oh, because of the fact that nobody can enter the competition, I can really take time, learn what I like and I can really focus on piano”. But then, other people completely lost their mind. They lost their concentration, their motivation, their energy. “Without a competition”, they said, “I have no motivation to practice”.

How have things changed in Korea after Covid?

Well, some people are still wearing masks, but things are changing. In the concert hall, coughing has really become a kind of taboo, so even in between movements, the audience stays completely quiet and focused. But even without that, Korean audiences are something that many foreigners never experienced. It’s hard to find an audience so focused, yet so enthusiastic. There are many young people in our audiences, they show their emotions, and once you have won them over, they will not let you go home!

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ISANGYUN Competition 2023/ PIANO

More information: www.isangyuncompetition.com

Applications: https://app.getacceptd.com/isangyun

 

 

©WFIMC 2023/FR