Pianist Sunwoo Yekwon (center) takes the gold in the Van Cliburn competition, in the Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 10. Silver medalist Kenneth Broberg (left) and bronze medalist Daniel Hsu, both from the U.S., are also winners this year. (Van Cliburn Foundation)
By Xu Aiying and Kim Young Shin
Acting Minister and Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Na Jong-min sent a congratulatory message to pianist Sunwoo Yekwon, the winner of this year's Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, on June 11.
“The ministry hopes that this award becomes an opportunity to broaden the base for classical music in Korea and to promote excellent Korean musicians around the world,” said the acting minister. He also encouraged the gold medal winner to keep up his great work so that he can be remembered as one of world’s top pianists for many years to come.
The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition is a U.S. piano competition held every four years since 1962, to commemorate pianist Van Cliburn who won the first International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958. The competition is considered as prestigious as the big three piano competitions -- the International Chopin Piano Competition, the International Tchaikovsky Competition and the Queen Elisabeth Competition.
This year, five Korean pianists took part in the Cliburn, and three, including Yekwon Sunwoo, made it to the semi-finals.
In 2005 and in 2009, Korean pianists Joyce Yang and Yeol Eum Son, respectively, took second place.
xuaiy@korea.kr