Kim Dae-jin

By Kwaak Je-yup

Two of the country’s most talented pianists and active professors of classical music have been invited by the Leeds International Piano Competition as members of this year’s jury.

Shin Soo-jung, professor at the Seoul National University and Kim Dae-jin, professor at the Korean National University of Arts will be seated alongside 13 others, including American pianist Robert Levin, Brazilian pianist-turned-conductor Joao Carlos Martins and French pianist Pascal Roge. Co-founder of the competition Dame Fanny Waterman will preside over the jury.

Founded in 1961 by Waterman and Marion Thorpe, former Countess of Harewood and hosted by Leeds Town Hall every three years since its first edition in 1963, it is one of the premier competitions in the world of classical

Shin Soo-jung

piano.

Competitors from all around the world will perform over three weeks for a chance at the Princess Mary Gold Medal. The event will take place from Aug. 29 to Sept. 16 this year. The list of contenders has yet to be publicized.

Past winners include numerous musicians of world fame, including Rafael Orozco (1966), Radu Lupu (1969) and Murray Perahia (1972). Korean pianist Kim Sun-wook’s win in 2006 raised the level of general awareness of the competition here. He is currently one of Kim Dae-jin’s students.

Shin returns to Leeds after serving for the first time three years ago. 2009 marked the first-ever female winner, Sofya Gulyak.
Runners-up and finalists have gone on to successful careers and greater acclaim.

In the competition’s history, 1975 remains legendary, as the likes of Dimitry Alexeev (winner), Mitsuko Uchida, Andras Schiff, Pascal Devoyon and Chung Myung-whun all performed in the final round.