Cellist Saebom Lee Wins First Prize at Washington International Competition

The Kumho Cultural Foundation announced on May 29 that cellist Saebom Lee (18), a former Kumho Young Talent, won first prize in the cello category at the 2025 Washington International Competition, which concluded on May 25 in Washington, D.C., United States.

Saebom Lee will receive a first prize award of $10,000 (approximately 1,555,000 KRW). Lee expressed her feelings about the win, saying, "I am truly delighted to have received an award at the Washington International Competition," and added, "What stands out most in my memory is that I was able to fully express the music I wanted to play on stage."

Cellist Saebom Lee [Photo by Kumho Cultural Foundation]

The Washington International Competition was founded in 1948 to support the development of young classical musicians, holding its first competition for strings in 1950. It is open to musicians aged 18 to 30 who are not affiliated with management agencies, and alternates annually between vocal, piano, and string categories. In 1976, a composition category was added, which is held every three years for composers aged 18 to 35.

This year, the competition featured both string and composition categories. In the string category, the semifinals were held on May 23 and 24 with 30 participants, and the finals took place on May 25 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. A total of six musicians competed in the finals: two in the violin category, two in the viola category, and two in the cello category. In the violin category, Coco Mi (United States) won first prize; in the viola category, Jielin Liang (China) took first place. Violinist and violist Yura Lee, who won the 5th Kumho Musician Award in 2008, served as a judge in this year's competition.

Notable past first prize winners of the Washington International Competition include cellist Ralph Kirshbaum (1967), soprano Jessye Norman (1968), and violist Roberto Diaz (1988). Korean musicians who have won first prize include Kyung Sun Lee (violin, 1991), Yoo Kyung Min (violin, 2000), Kumho Young Talent alumna Ga Hyun Cho (violin, joint first prize in 2009), Kumho Young Artist alumna Yoo Jin Lee (violin, 2018), Kumho Young Talent alumnus Jae Won Wi (violin, 2022), Kumho Young Artist alumna Sohee Yoon (viola, 2022), Sang Kyung Lee (cello, 2003), and Kumho Young Talent alumna Hee Young Lim (cello, 2009). In the piano category, Kumho Young Talent alumna Yoon Jung Han (2011) and Kumho Young Artist alumna Somang Jegal (2014) have won first prize, while in the composition category, Sung Hyun Yoon (1988) is a past winner.

Saebom Lee made her debut at the Kumho Young Talent Concert in 2020. She gained international recognition by winning second prize at the 2022 Dotzauer International Youth Cello Competition. Domestically, she has won first prize at the Dong-A Junior Music Competition, Sungjung Music Competition, Eumyoun Competition, and Strad Competition, among others. She also received the 15th Shinhan Music Award in 2023, the bronze medal in the string category at the 2024 KBS·KEPCO Music Competition, and second prize at the 2025 JoongAng Music Competition. Lee graduated from Yewon School, receiving both the Excellence in Performance and Merit Awards, and is currently enrolled as a gifted student at the Korea National University of Arts, studying under Kangho Lee, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, and Sunyi Jung.