The ISANGYUN Violin Competition, held annually by the Tongyeong International Music Foundation since 2003, honors the legacy of the celebrated Korean composer Isang Yun (1917-1995). This prestigious event fosters the development of young international soloists and promotes cultural exchange between nations. The competition alternates yearly between violin, cello, and piano editions.
This year’s competition took place from November 2 to 10, 2024, at the Tongyeong Concert Hall in South Korea, with participants ranging in age from 15 to 30. The Final Round of the event is available for viewing on The Violin Channel.
The First Prize, accompanied by a cash award of KRW 30,000,000 (~21,500 USD), was awarded to Chaowen Luo. Eunjoong Park claimed Second Prize, receiving KRW 20,000,000 (~14,300 USD), while Jake Dongyoung Shim secured Third Prize and a KRW 10,000,000 (~7,100 USD) prize.
The competition’s esteemed jury, chaired by Mihaela Martin, included renowned musicians Christian Altenburger, Martin Beaver, Michiko Kamiya, Ida Kavafian, Hyuna Kim, Sung-Ju Lee, Douglas Sheldon, and Weidong Tong.
As part of their prize, the winners will have the opportunity to perform at prestigious events such as the Orchestra Festival hosted by the Seoul Arts Center, Music in PyeongChang by the Gangwon Art & Culture Foundation, and the DMZ OPEN Festival. In addition, they will perform solo with both the Busan Philharmonic Orchestra and the Gwangju Symphony Orchestra.
Chaowen Luo, the First Prize winner, began his violin studies at the age of 7 with Xiao Sishan. He later studied under Prof. Huang Chenxing, Prof. Wang Hong, and Zhang Jia, before continuing his education at the Central Conservatory of Music under Prof. Tong Weidong.
Luo has received numerous accolades, including Third Prize at the 2023 Tchaikovsky International Competition, the Jade Medal at the 2023 China International Violin Competition, and Second Prize at the Qingdao International Violin Competition.
In 2017, he performed alongside Master Vengerov in Qingdao, and a year later, he was selected for Seiji Ozawa Music Juku, where he toured Japan. Luo also participated as concertmaster in the 2019 European String Festival in Spain.
Related Topics
- Kurt Cobain’s Infamous Smashed Guitar From Olympia Concert Hits Auction
- Toby Knapp Announces Return to Music with Three Upcoming Albums
- Young Kiwi Guitarist Joins Band on Stage for Epic Performance
