'Next-Generation Violist' Kang Hyunbin Wins 1st Place at International Viola Society Competition

Next-generation violist Kang Hyunbin (17, Seoul Arts High School) took first place at the 48th International Viola Society Competition.

Violist Kang Hyunbin, who won first place at the 48th International Viola Society Competition.
[Photo by International Viola Society]

On the 6th (local time), Kang Hyunbin won first place at the 'Choochart Pitaksakorn Viola Competition' held at the Faculty of Music, Mahidol University in Thailand.

This competition, held from the 6th to the 10th over five days, was organized by the International Viola Society and hosted by the Thailand Viola Society at the Faculty of Music, Mahidol University.

The annual International Viola Society competition location is determined through fierce competition among regional associations. Past competitions have been held under the jurisdiction of hosting branches, such as the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, USA in 2012, and Cremona, Italy in 2016. This year's competition had an age limit from 12 to 28 years old, and after a rigorous video screening, 12 finalists were invited to the final round.

Two participants from the Netherlands and Singapore shared third place, and a participant from China took second place. The ultimate winner, Kang Hyunbin, received a prize of 15,000 baht, performance opportunities at upcoming Viola Society events, and masterclasses with invited artists currently participating in the society.

Yuta Perchhammer, president of the International Viola Society and viola professor at the University of Montreal as well as the jury chair of the Sedlitt Competition, commented on Kang Hyunbin, saying, “(Her performance of Hindemith’s Viola Concerto) was impressive with delicate tonal changes and well-refined articulation,” and added, “The music inside her was well expressed outwardly, making Kang Hyunbin herself the music.”

Thai violist Aibek Ashirmatov, a jury member, praised Kang Hyunbin after the judging, expressing surprise at her young age and saying, “It felt like watching an adult’s performance.”

Born in 2006, Kang Hyunbin graduated with excellence in practical skills from Yewon School and is currently a second-year student at Seoul Arts High School. She has won awards at major competitions such as the Overseas Dispatch Competition, Ewha Kyunghyang, Music Chunchu, Seongjeong, and Segye Ilbo, and has been selected as a Young Artist at Seoul Arts High School.