On September 23, Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation announced the release of a commemorative medal marking the 10th anniversary of pianist Seongjin Cho's victory at the Chopin Competition. The Chopin Competition is one of the world's top three piano competitions. Seongjin Cho was the first Korean to win at one of the world's top three piano competitions, specifically the International Chopin Piano Competition.
Seongjin Cho claimed victory at the 17th Chopin Competition in 2015. The renowned conductor Sir Simon Rattle once described Cho as a "poet on the keyboard."
Design of the commemorative medal for "Pianist Seongjin Cho's 10th Anniversary of Winning the Chopin Competition." Provided by Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation
The commemorative medal was planned to allow fans to reminisce about Seongjin Cho's performance career following his Chopin Competition win. Proceeds from the sale of the medal will be donated to the Seoul National University Hospital development fund in the names of Seongjin Cho and the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation.
The corporation will release two types of commemorative medals, crafted from 99.9% pure gold and silver. The gold medal will be limited to 528 pieces, representing Seongjin Cho's birthday, and the silver medal will be limited to 1,021 pieces, representing the date of his competition victory.
The front of the commemorative medal features an image of Seongjin Cho performing against the backdrop of the pipe organ at the Warsaw National Philharmonic Concert Hall, the venue of the Chopin Competition, along with his autograph. The reverse side depicts Seongjin Cho's English name and his hands playing the piano, set against the sheet music he performed during his winning performance.
From October 21 (10:00 a.m.) to October 31 (8:00 p.m.), the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation will accept pre-orders for the commemorative medal through its online shopping mall. The actual medals will be delivered in December. Purchasers of the commemorative medal will also receive a photo book featuring the album covers of Seongjin Cho's releases since his Chopin Competition victory.
To date, the corporation has produced and released commemorative medals featuring global top-tier K-culture icons such as BTS, Son Heungmin, and Faker, taking the lead in promoting the stature of Korean culture worldwide.
Seong Changhoon, president of the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation, stated, "It is a great honor for the corporation to produce a commemorative medal for pianist Seongjin Cho, who is at the forefront of popularizing classical music. I hope that the donation of proceeds will bring warmth and comfort to our society at the end of the year."
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