Opening Round Candidates Announced for Korea's 2021 ISANGYUN Competition

The competition will be held from October 31 to November 6, 2021, in Tongyeong, South Korea

The ISANGYUN International Violin Competition has announced its x opening round candidates.

Open to violinists born between November 1, 1990, and October 31, 2006, the competition's first prize winner will receive KRW 30,000,000 (USD $26,525).

• Oganes Arustamov (Russia)

• Aaron Cheuk Long Chan (Canada)

• Eric Chen (United States)

• Karisa Chiu (United States)

• Larissa Cidlinsky (Germany)

• Anna Agafia Egholm (Denmark)

• Hiu Sing Fan (United Kingdom/HongKong)

• Jaeyoun Hwang (South Korea)

• Jueun Jeong (South Korea)

• Nakyung Kang (South Korea)

• Lorenz Karls (Sweden)

• Gawon Kim (South Korea)

• Haram Kim (South Korea)

• Sungmoon Kim (South Korea)

• Eshel Kim (South Korea)

• Donghwi Ko (South Korea)

• Daniel Kogan (Russia)

• Maya Levy (Belgium)

• Sean Lim (United States)

• Dongmin Lim (South Korea)

• Petr Lundstrem (Russia)

• Haerim Oh (South Korea)

• Dongyoung Jake Shim (South Korea)

• Ririko Takagi (Japan)

• Yun Tang (China)

• Jingzhi Zhang (China)

Presented by the Tongyeong International Music Foundation since 2003, the ISANGYUN Competition is held in remembrance of renowned Korean composer Isang Yun (1917-1995) — with the aim of supporting emerging international soloists and the promotion of cultural exchange among nations.

Born in Tongyeong, Isang Yun was one of Korea’s foremost composers noted for his endeavors to bridge Asian and Western music cultures. His style combined lively sounds of Korean traditional music with many European techniques including 12-tone dodecaphony and numerous aspects of the Western avant-garde experimentation. 

For the opening round, each candidate will present the first and second movements from a J.S Bach Solo Sonata, any two movement from Isang Yun's "Li-Na im Garten" for Solo Violin and either Ysaye Solo Violin Sonata No. 3 "Ballade" or No. 6. 

The 2021 jury comprises Namyun Kim (Chairperson), Shmuel Ashkenasi, Choon Soo Chung, Boris Garlitsky, Lena Neudauer, Lucie Robert, David Schultheiss, Takashi Shimizu, and Tianwa Yang.

Held annually and alternating disciplines between piano, violin, and cello, the competition's previous first prize winners include violinists VC Young Artists Ji Won Song, Luke Hsu, and Yu-Chien Benny Tseng.

And a special Seong-Yawng Park encouragement prize will also be presented throughout the competition to the most promising South Korean participant in the competition.