Pianist Cho Seong-jin wins Pony Chung Innovation Award
Hyundai Development Company (HDC) Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, left, presents Pianist Cho Seong-jin with this year’s Pony Chung Innovation Award at the Pony Chung Hall in southern Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of HDC
By Lee Hyo-sik
Pianist Cho Seong-jin has been selected as the recipient of this year’s Pony Chung Innovation Award for winning the International Chopin Piano Competition, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious music competitions.
The Pony Chung Foundation held a ceremony at the Pony Chung Hall in southern Seoul, Wednesday, to present the 21-year-old pianist with the award.
Cho, the first Korean to win the Chopin competition in Poland last October, is the youngest recipient of the innovation award, the foundation said. Past awardees include figure skater Kim Yu-na and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
Pony Chung Foundation Chairman Kim Chul-soo, Hyundai Development Company (HDC) Chairman Chung Mong-gyu and 150 other high-profile figures attended the award ceremony.
“Pianist Cho won the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition, significantly raising Korea’s status on the international classical music stage,” Kim said. “He has also sparked a great deal of sensation among music fans at home and abroad. We have high hopes for Cho’s achievements in the future.”
Cho won the top prize and 30,000 euros (36.8 million won) at the International Chopin Piano Competition, held every five years in Warsaw, Poland, the home of Chopin (1810-1849).
The Pony Chung Foundation has been offering the Pony Chung Innovation Award every year to those who bring positive changes to society in commemoration of the late Chung Se-yung. Those chosen received 100 million won in prize money.
In November 2005, the HDC chairman set up the foundation to honor his late father and former company Chairman Chung, who placed top priority on fostering innovation.
In addition, the foundation has been providing students with scholarships and implementing other academic support programs.
Since 2008, each year it has selected up to three Ph.D. holders majoring in the humanities, giving each 50 million won in research funding.
It also runs a program to nurture young musicians by offering scholarships and organizing concerts in which they can show off their talent.