Pianist Sun Youl on June 29 won the prestigious Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition on the event's final day in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Competition's official Facebook page)

By Yoon Seungjin

Sun Youl has won the prestigious Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition of the U.S. in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He claimed the top prize in the contest, which ran from June 16-29, after performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in the first round of the finals and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3 in the second.

Sun also won the Audience and Student Jury prizes to post a triple crown at the event.

In addition to prize money of USD 50,000 (KRW 69 million), he will have the opportunity to perform in New York, play with the Utah Symphony and record an album.

Launched in 1976, the competition is one of the top three events of its kind in the U.S. along with the Cleveland International Piano Competition and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas.

Sun is just the second Korean to win the Bachauer contest, the first being Shin Chanyong in 2018.

Placing third last year at the Isangyun Competition in Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, Sun has also won awards at the Viseu International Piano Competition of Portugal and the Maria Canals International Music Competition of Spain.

scf2979@korea.kr