15-Year-Old Pianist Nam Yeseo to Hold Recital, Performing Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 with String Quintet

On June 28 at Hermann Art Hall in Seongsu-dong, Seoul
Chopin Piano Sonata No. 3 and Piano Concerto No. 2

Pianist Nam Yeseo, age 15, will hold a solo recital featuring only the works of Chopin at Hermann Art Hall in Seongsu-dong, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, at 3:00 p.m. on June 28.

She will open the program with Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 3, followed by Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2, performed in a string quintet arrangement. The string quintet for this performance will feature Yang Yoojin (first violin), Joo Yeonju (second violin), Lee Seonju (viola), Lee Hyejae (cello), and Kim Taekyun (double bass), all members of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, collaborating with Nam Yeseo for Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in this special arrangement.

Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 3, composed in 1844 in Nohant, France, and dedicated to Countess ?lise de Perthuis, is considered a masterpiece representing Chopin's late style. The piece skillfully weaves Romantic sensibility into a classical structure, with strong contrapuntal elements reminiscent of Bach. It consists of four movements; notably, the first movement features melodies that shift between major and minor keys, conveying a complex interplay of despair and tranquility, tension and release. In the final movement, Chopin's characteristic passion and conviction are unleashed in a dramatic display.

The Piano Concerto No. 2, performed in the second half of the concert, is Chopin's first concerto, completed in 1830 just before he left his homeland, Poland. Chopin composed two piano concertos in 1830, but published the second one first, making it Piano Concerto No. 1, while the concerto composed first became No. 2.

For this performance, the piece will be presented in a string quintet arrangement reinterpreted by world-renowned Chopin specialist, American pianist Kevin Kenner. Kevin Kenner recently performed this arrangement with the Apollon Musag?te Quartet during his concert in Korea last month at the Seoul Arts Center.

Nam Yeseo began playing piano at the age of six and made her debut in 2018, performing with the Hwaseong Chamber Orchestra. At age nine, in 2019, she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and received the New York Mayor's Award, drawing significant attention.

Since then, she has won top prizes at the Yewon Music Competition, as well as first prizes at Music Chunchoo, Umyeon, Seongjeong, Suri, and Beethoven competitions, and has distinguished herself at the Ewha Kyunghyang and Dong-A Junior competitions. She has deepened her musical artistry through a variety of performances, including the "Young Musicians Festival" (2021?2023), The House Concert, July Festival, DMZ International Documentary Film Festival, and numerous charity concerts.

Nam Yeseo has completed the gifted program at Korea National University of Arts and is currently a scholarship recipient of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mongkoo Foundation and Samil Future Foundation, steadily preparing for her future as a musician. She is currently affiliated with PANG Production and studies under pianist Han Sangil.