BREAKING | VC Young Artist Brannon Cho Awarded 1st Prize at Finland’s Paulo Cello Comp

VC Young Artist Brannon Cho has been awarded 1st prize at the 2018 Paulo International Cello Competition

23-year-old VC Young Artist Brannon Cho from the United States has just minutes ago been awarded 1st prize at the 2018 Paulo International Cello Competition – in Helsinki, Finland.

Joint-2nd prize was awarded to 19-year-old VC Young Artist Zlatomir Fung from United States and 23-year-old Minji Kim from South Korea.

Joint-4th prize was awarded to 24-year-old Timotheos Petrin from Greece, 19-year-old Leonardo Chiodo from Finland and 21-year-old Bryan Cheng from Canada.

VC YOUNG ARTIST BRANNON CHO | PROKOFIEV | SINFONIA CONCERTANTE | SUSANNA MALKKI & HELSINKI PHILHARMONIC | 2018 PAULO INTERNATIONAL CELLO COMPETITION | 1ST PRIZE

VC YOUNG ARTIST ZLATOMIR FUNG | JOONAS KOKKONEN CELLO CONCERTO | SUSANNA MALKKI & HELSINKI PHILHARMONIC | 2018 PAULO INTERNATIONAL CELLO COMPETITION | JOINT-2ND PRIZE

MINJI KIM | LUTOSLAWSKI CELLO CONCERTO | SUSANNA MALKKI & HELSINKI PHILHARMONIC | 2018 PAULO INTERNATIONAL CELLO COMPETITION | JOINT-2ND PRIZE

A graduate of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, where he studied with Hans Jørgen Jensen, and current Artist Diploma student of Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory, Brannon is a former major prize winner at the Naumburg, Cassadó and Johansen International Cello Competitions – and in June of last year, was awarded a prize at the inaugural Queen Elisabeth International Cello Competition, in Belgium.

Open to cellists of any nationality born between 1988 and 2002, Brannon will receive €20,000.

This year's shadow jury prize, comprising a panel of young professionals, was also awarded to VC Young Artist Brannon Cho.

The jury's special prize, of a cello bow made by Risto Vainio, was awarded to Leonardo Chiodo.

The 2018 jury comprised: Arto Noras, Frans Helmerson, Maria Kliegel, Laurence Lesser, Ivan Monighetti, Philippe Muller, Li-Wei Qin, Martti Rousi and Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi.