Yonggi Woo, 28

Yonggi Woo

Yonggi Woo, originally from South Korea, began playing the piano at the age of five. At fourteen, he successfully debuted his first piano recital at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul, and was accepted to study at Seoul Arts High School with Professor Soo Jung Shin and Ki-Jung Han. He continued his studies with Professor Aviram Reichert at Seoul National University, earning a Bachelor’s degree with the highest honours in 2019. He currently studies at the studio of Professor Evgeni Bozhanov at Folkwang University of the Arts in Germany.

Yonggi has won numerous international competitions, including first prize at the Suzhou Jinji Lake International Piano Competition, Hong Kong Asia Open Competition, second prize at the Seoul International Music Competition, and was a semifinalist at the Geneva International Competition in Switzerland. He also won first prize at the KBS KEPCO Music Competition in Korea, Köhler-Osbahr-Stiftung Competition, and Folkwang Prize in Germany.

Yonggi has performed at various venues in Europe and Asia, including Philharmonie Mercatorhalle, Seoul Arts Center, Kumho Art Hall, Kukje Art Hall, Elim Art Center, Alpensia Concert Hall, Yeul Maru, KBS Hall, and Hamamatsu Act City Concert Hall. His live performances have been featured on KBS, the national television station of South Korea. He has also appeared as a soloist with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, and Yeosu Philharmonic Orchestra.

Furthermore, Yonggi has been the pianist for masterclasses by renowned pianists such as Rena Shereshevskaya, Dame Fanny Waterman, Piotr Paleczny, Arie Vardi, Hiroko Nakamura, Tatiana Zelikman, Michel Dalberto, Michel Béroff, Hae-Sun Paik, and Georg Friedrich Schenck, among others.

Stage 1: Recital

Stage 2: Recital

Stage 3: Recital (semifinal)

Stage 4: Concerto (final)

Stage 1: Recital

All competitors will perform a solo recital with the maximum duration of 30 minutes

G Ligeti: Étude “Fanfares” Book 1 No. 4

D Scarlatti: Sonata in F major K107

D Scarlatti: Sonata in F major K6

J Haydn: Sonata in E flat major Hob XVI:52

I. Allegro II. Adagio III. Presto

F Chopin: Étude in A minor Op. 25 No. 11

Stage 2: Recital

All competitors will perform a solo recital with the maximum duration of 30 minutes

D Scarlatti: Sonata in C sharp minor K247

R Schumann: Symphonic Études Op. 13

I. Theme - Andante II. Un poco più vivo III. Andante IV. Vivace V. Allegro marcato VI. Scherzando VII. Agitato VIII. Allegro molto IX. Sempre marcatissimo X. Presto possibile XI. Allegro con energia XII. Andante espressivo XIII. Allegro brillante

Stage 3: Recital (semifinal)

Up to ten competitors will perform a solo recital with the maximum duration of 60 minutes

D Önaç: Five Études

I. Monody Dance IV. Toll

S Prokofiev: Sonata No. 2 Op. 14

I. Allegro, ma non troppo - Più mosso - Tempo primo II. Scherzo: Allegro marcato III. Andante IV. Vivace - Moderato - Vivace

M Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

I. Promenade II. Gnomus III. Promenade IV. Il Vecchio Castello V. Promenade VI. Les Tuileries VII. Bydlo  VIII. Promenade IX. Dance of Chickens in their Shells X. Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle XI. Promenade XII.The Market at Limoges XIII. Catacombe XIV. Cum Mortuis in Lingua Mortua XV. Baba-Yaga XVI. The Great Gate of Kiev

Stage 4: Concerto (final)

Three competitors will perform a concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra

S Prokofiev:

Concerto No. 3 in C major Op. 26