Pianist Park Jin-hyung, 30, tied for runner-up at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition -- the best result ever achieved by a Korean participant.
According to the competition organizers and the Kumho Cultural Foundation on Wednesday, Park shared second place with Belarusian pianist Uladzislau Khandohi at the 18th Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, held in Tel Aviv, Israel. Russian pianist Dmitry Yudin took first place, while Ukrainian pianist Roman Fediurko placed third.
Park said, through the Kumho Cultural Foundation, "I am happy to have achieved a good result in a competition that lasted longer than usual," adding, "I also feel a sense of liberation at having completed a roughly five-month journey." Park will receive $20,000 in prize money.
The competition is open to pianists between 18 and 32 years old. The final round had originally been scheduled for May but was postponed to September because of the war in the Middle East. This year's jury included 12 world-renowned pianists, among them Jury Chair Arie Vardi and South Korea's Shin Su-jung, alongside Martha Argerich, Daniel Barenboim, Pavel Gililov and Yefim Bronfman.
The competition, launched in 1974 to honor the musical legacy of Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982), one of the 20th century's greatest pianists, is held once every three years. Past participants have included Emanuel Ax, Kirill Gerstein, Igor Levit, Khatia Buniatishvili and Daniil Trifonov, as well as several of Korea's star pianists. Park Jong-kyung placed third in 1998, Son Yeol-eum placed third in 2005, and Cho Seong-jin placed third in 2014.
Park, who became the first Korean to win first place in piano at the 2016 Prague Spring International Music Competition, has since competed in numerous prestigious competitions at home and abroad. He made his debut in 2009 at a Kumho young talent concert and has since performed for audiences on a variety of stages. He studied under Yu Young-wook at Yewon School, Seoul Arts High School and Yonsei University, and later completed his master's degree under Arie Vardi at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media.
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