Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.
Pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon hopes to bring comfort
Pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon performs during a press conference held at ODE Port, Gangnam District, Seoul, Tuesday, to promote his new album “Mozart.” Yonhap
By Park Ji-won
By Park Ji-won
The cover of pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon's new album “Mozart” Courtesy of Universal Music Korea
Award-winning pianist Sunwoo Ye-kwon released a new album, Tuesday, which he hopes will comfort pandemic-weary people.
Sunwoo, the winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2017, said the double album titled “Mozart” was recorded to help people find peace amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. The album is his first release since “Cliburn Gold: Van Cliburn Competition 2017.”
“The first CD can help people to purify themselves and feel better while listening in the morning. I made the track list without following the time when a piece was made. The second CD can help people spend some time alone when they feel emptiness and depression in the evening. The albums cannot sort things out perfectly, but it could give people some comfort,” Sunwoo said during a press conference held to promote the album at ODE Port, Gangnam District, Seoul, Tuesday.
The work mainly covers Mozart's piano sonatas with rondo and fantasia pieces. It includes Sonata Nos. 8, 10, 11, 13 and 16, which people are familiar with. The digital album includes a bonus track “Turkish March” arranged by Arcadi Volodos. He said he practiced hard to play the pieces, which are known for their detail and complex articulation, while trying his best to express the intention of the music, he said.
The album was released amid soaring numbers of infection cases in Korea. More than 300 people were confirmed to have been infected Tuesday, and daily new cases show no sign of abating. Theaters have cancelled or delayed their shows. But the pianist pushed for the in-person news conference as scheduled.
When asked about the changes in his mindset as a musician during the pandemic, he said he realized music is very powerful and it gave him a sense of being alive and a drive to continue.
“I had not practiced piano for almost two months after the recording. I, like others, felt depressed over the first-ever continued uncertainty in my life created by COVID-19 … I felt dead during the time. But once I resumed practicing piano, I felt alive again. I was so moved by the sentiment and I realized I couldn't stop playing music. The pandemic helped me to realize that music has tremendous power … is not only enriches our lives but also helps us to overcome our feelings of loss. The music must continue.”
He said he thinks Mozart was a “multifaceted composer.”
“Many would think Mozart was childish, fresh, odd and bright. But I think he was a multi-faceted composer. His music conjures all kinds of characters for me with seriousness and tragedy,” the pianist added.
He chose to play Mozart because he felt an affinity with the musician and he was highly rated by his colleagues for his interpretations of the composer's works.
“When I first went to the U.S., I was recognized for my performances of the works of Mozart. When I won the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, people found my Mozart very special … Personally, Mozart goes well with my musical interpretation and style. And now I feel even closer to him.”
He is also planning to begin a nationwide tour to support the album from Dec. 30 to Jan. 26.