Prizewinners Announced at Poland's Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition

18-year-old South Korean cellist Tae-Yeon Kim won first prize, as well as a number of special prizes

The 18-year-old South Korean cellist Tae-Yeon Kim has been named the winner of the Witold Lutosławski International Cello Competition for 2024. Hosted in Warsaw, the competition sees all of its finalists perform Lutosławski's Cello Concerto with orchestra, as well as a concerto of their own choice by Haydn or CPE Bach.

Kim receives a cash prize of €20,000 — as well as a number of further awards, including the €1,000 special prize for an outstanding performance of Grave by Polish composer Witold Lutosławski. She will also receive a staggering number of performance engagements, with the Arthur Rubinstein Philharmonic, Tadeusz Szeligowski Philharmonic, Feliks Nowowiejski Warmia-Mazuria Philharmonic, Tadeusz Baird Philharmonic, Henryk Wieniawski Philharmonic, Karol Szymanowski Philharmonic, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki Philharmonic, and Baltic Fryderyk Chopin Philharmonic.

Second prize of €10,000 was awarded to Polish cellist Maria Leszczyńska, and she receives performance engagements with the Lower Silesia Philharmonic, the Jerzy Semkow Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra, the Elblag Chamber Orchestra, and Capella Cracoviensis.

Third prize of €5,000 was won by Polish cellist Antoni Wrona, who received performance engagements with the House of Creative Work in Radziejowice and the Oskar Kolberg Świętokrzyska Philharmonic.

Fourth prize of €2,500 was awarded to Polish cellist Gustaw Bafeltowski, who will play with the Józef Wiłkomirski Sudety Philharmonic and Toruń Symphony Orchestra. The Spanish cellist Esteban Jiménez Suárez received an honorable mention, as well as some of the special prizes.

Tae-Yeon Kim is presently studying with Gary Hoffman and Peter Wiley at the Curtis Institute of Music.