2024 Contestants
Young Sun Choi
South Korea
Age 30
Sponsored by Elizabeth Conklyn
Co-Hosted by Sara and Dave Morgan & Annette & Darin Elkins
Young Sun Choi won The Gurwitz 2024 Bronze Medal and Best Performance of a Work by a Latin or Spanish Composer Award For a full profile and media, visit her winner’s page.
A winner of the 26th Rina Sala Gallo Monza International Piano Competition, Young Sun Choi has won top awards in other competitions such as the Bösendorfer USASU International Piano Competition, American International Paderewski Piano Competition, Franz Schubert and Modern Music International Chamber Music Competition, and Lyon International Piano Competition. She has also been awarded US scholarships including the Mildred E. Allen Memorial Piano Award from Indianapolis Matinee Musicale, and the Ham Merit Award and O’Meara Merit Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters.
Choi has performed with the Italian Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Korean Broadcasting System Symphony Orchestra, Prime Philharmonic Orchestra, Kazan Chamber Orchestra “La Primavera”, and Indiana University Symphony Orchestra. Her solo performances include the Fazioli Concert Hall (Italy), Paderewski Festival (U.S.), and Kumho Art Hall (South Korea). A member of Trio Unio, Choi has also performed as part of a piano trio at the Alpensia Concert Hall and Perigee Hall (South Korea).
Starting piano at age six, Young Sun Choi studied at Seoul Arts School under Jung Won Moon. She then earned a national scholarship and attended Seoul National University, studying under Aviram Reichert and musicologist Hee-Sook Oh. After graduating summa cum laude, Choi then earned her masters at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Since 2018, she has been studying with Arnaldo Cohen for her doctorate and serving as an associate piano instructor at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
https://www.youngsunchoi.com/
Facebook (@choipianist)
Instagram (@youngsunchoi_pf)
Repertoire
ROUND I
MOZART Sonata in C Major, K. 309
CHOPIN Fantasy in F minor, Op. 49
VINE Sonata No. 1
ROUND II
GRANADOS No. 4 ‘Quejas o la Maja y el Ruiseñor’ from “Goyescas”
UNSUK CHIN Piano Etude No. 5 “Toccata”
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28
SCHUMANN Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 11
ROUND III
KELLY-MARIE MURPHY Star Burning Blue (2000)
AARON PRADO El Colibrí y la Cempasúchil (2023)
ROUND IV
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
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