'Four Korean Performers Who Won the World's Top 3 Competitions Meet Seoul Audience'

Seoul Opera's 'La Boh?me' Mimi Roles Seo Sun-young & Hwang Su-mi
2011 Tchaikovsky & 2014 Queen Elizabeth Winners
'Marcello' Kim Tae-han, Last Year's Queen Elizabeth Winner
'2015 Chopin Competition' Cho Seong-jin, Collaboration with Rattle & BRSO

The Chopin Competition, the Queen Elisabeth Competition, and the Tchaikovsky Competition are commonly referred to as the world's three major competitions. They were established in 1927, 1937, and 1958 respectively to honor Polish pianist Fr?d?ric Chopin (1810?1849), Belgian violinist Eug?ne Ysa?e (1858?1931), and Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky (1840?1893). Although the prestige of the Tchaikovsky Competition was significantly diminished following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the status of its past winners remains intact.

This week in Seoul, Korean performers who have triumphed in these three major international competitions will consecutively take the stage. The main figures are soprano Seo Sun-young, professor of vocal music at Korea National University of Arts (40), Hwang Su-mi, professor of vocal music at Kyung Hee University (38), pianist Cho Seong-jin (30), and baritone Kim Tae-han (24).

Seo Sun-young, Hwang Su-mi, and Kim Tae-han will perform in Seoul Opera Company's production of La Boh?me at the Sejong Center Grand Theater from the 21st to the 24th. Seo Sun-young and Hwang Su-mi will play the female lead 'Mimi,' while Kim Tae-han will take on the role of the poor painter 'Marcello.'

Soprano Seo Seon-young (left) and Hwang Su-mi, who played the female lead Mimi in Seoul Opera Company's 'La Boh?me'
Photo by Seoul Opera Company

Seo Sun-young won the vocal category of the Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011. Hwang Su-mi was the winner of the vocal category at the 2014 Queen Elisabeth Competition. Kim Tae-han claimed the vocal category title at last year's Queen Elisabeth Competition.

La Boh?me depicts the love lives of young, impoverished artists in Paris. Since its setting is on Christmas Eve, it is a work commonly seen worldwide every year during the year-end season. However, this Seoul Opera Company's production of La Boh?me has attracted attention for its distinctive casting. In particular, the joint appearance of Seo Sun-young and Hwang Su-mi, who can be considered representative sopranos of Korea, has generated significant buzz.

At a press conference held on the 7th at the Sejong Center in Seoul, the two said it was their first time appearing together in the same production and that they learn a lot from each other.

Seo Sun-young said, "My vocal timbre is closer to a lyric spinto soprano, which has a heavier tone among lyric sopranos, but Hwang Su-mi has an ideal tone for the role of Mimi," adding, "Hwang Su-mi also has excellent expressiveness, and I learn a lot while practicing together." Hwang Su-mi responded, "Preparing for a performance with Seo Sun-young for the first time has been very inspiring," and added, "Although I have played Mimi several times, each performance requires new elements to be filled in because the co-stars and productions differ."

Kim Tae-han became the youngest ever and the first Asian male to win the Queen Elisabeth Competition last year. This production marks his debut on a full-length opera stage in Korea. He shared, "I originally liked rock music, but after seeing La Boh?me, I fell in love with vocal music," and said, "The first opera I ever saw was La Boh?me, so it is also my favorite work."

Pianist Cho Seong-jin, who won the Chopin Competition in 2015, will perform with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (BRSO) conducted by maestro Sir Simon Rattle at Lotte Concert Hall on the 20th and 21st. On the 20th, he will play Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2, and on the 21st, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 2.

Typically, piano concertos consist of three movements and last less than 40 minutes. However, Brahms' Piano Concerto is structured in four movements and lasts about 50 minutes. Due to its scale comparable to a symphony, it is a very demanding and challenging piece for pianists.

At a press conference held on the 19th at Lotte Concert Hall, Cho Seong-jin said, "It is a very physically and mentally demanding piece, but during a recent performance, the orchestra and conductor were so excellent that I almost forgot how hard it was." He was referring to a charity concert on the 16th (local time) in Munich, Germany, where he performed Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Rattle.

The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, celebrating its 75th anniversary, held a press conference on the 19th at the rehearsal room of Lotte Concert Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, ahead of their collaborative concerts with Seong-Jin Cho on the 20th and 21st at the same venue. Sir Simon Rattle, the principal conductor, is seen smiling as he praises Seong-Jin Cho's performance in response to reporters' questions. Photo by Huh Young-han

Sir Rattle said, "Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 is a symphonic work where the pianist and orchestra must absolutely rely on each other and interact musically," and added, "There is no need to worry when performing with Cho Seong-jin," showing mutual trust. Sir Rattle led the Berlin Philharmonic in 2017 and the London Symphony Orchestra in 2022 on visits to Korea, and in both visits, he performed with Cho Seong-jin.

The Queen Elisabeth Competition is held every May, rotating among violin, piano, cello, and vocal categories. Winners in each category are thus produced every four years. The Tchaikovsky Competition also produces winners every four years. However, the competition itself is held every four years, and winners are announced simultaneously in violin, piano, cello, vocal, brass, and woodwind categories. The next competition is scheduled for 2027. The Chopin Competition is held every five years and awards only the piano category. The next competition is scheduled for next year. Applications are accepted until December 15, with preliminaries in April and finals in October of the following year.