Tour Dates
Seong-Jin Cho: Bio
"To hear Cho breathe tenderness and freedom into this music while giving it a sturdy rhythmic profile was a striking thing"
San Francisco Chronicle
With an overwhelming talent and innate musicality, Seong-Jin Cho has made his mark as one of the consummate talents of his generation and most distinctive artists on the current music scene. His thoughtful and poetic, assertive and tender, virtuosic and colourful playing can combine panache with purity and is driven by an impressive natural sense of balance.
Seong-Jin Cho was brought to the world's attention in 2015 when he won the First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. In January 2016, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. The first recording was released in November 2016 featuring Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the London Symphony Orchestra and Gianandrea Noseda as well as the Four Ballades. A solo Debussy recital was released in November 2017, followed in 2018 by a Mozart album featuring Sonatas K281 and K332 and the Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor K466 with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and Yannick Nézet-Séguin. All albums won impressive critical acclaim worldwide. Cho's latest album on the Yellow Label, titled The Wanderer and released in May 2020, features Schubert's "Wanderer" Fantasy, Berg's Piano Sonata op. 1 and Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor.
Highlights of Seong-Jin Cho's 2020/21 season include his return the Berliner Philharmoniker with Andris Nelsons and debuts with the Münchner Philharmoniker, and Valery Gergiev and the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse and Tugan Sokhiev. A highly sought-after touring soloist, Cho embarks on several international tours, including those with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Luxembourg and Gustavo Gimeno and the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Ivan Fischer. Recent and upcoming orchestral highlights include performances with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel, Boston Symphony Orchestra with Hannu Lintu, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra with Manfred Honeck, Mahler Chamber Orchestra with Jakub Hrůša and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra with Jaap Van Zweden.
An active recitalist very much in demand, Seong-Jin Cho performs in many of the world's most prestigious concert halls including the main stage of Carnegie Hall as part of the Keyboard Virtuoso series, Concertgebouw Amsterdam in the Master Pianists series, Berliner Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal (Berliner Philharmoniker concert series), Konzerthaus Vienna, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Walt Disney Hall Los Angeles, Prinzregententheater Munich, Liederhalle Stuttgart, Festival International de piano de la Roque d'Anthéron, Verbier Festival, Gstaad Menuhin Festival and Rheingau Musik Festival. During the coming season he gives debut solo recitals at the Mozarteum Salzburg, Festspielhaus Bregenz, Victoria Hall Geneva and Wigmore Hall, and embarks on a recital tour through Korea with concerts at the Seoul Arts Center and Busan Cultural Center amongst many others.
Born in 1994 in Seoul, Seong-Jin Cho started learning the piano at the age of six and gave his first public recital aged 11. In 2009, he became the youngest-ever winner of Japan's Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. In 2011, he won Third Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow at the age of 17. From 2012-2015 he studied with Michel Béroff at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris and is now based in Berlin.
1 | Mozart_ Allegro in D Major, K. 626b 16 |
What better way to celebrate Mozart's birthday than with the world premiere of one of his compositions' Seong-Jin Cho did just that in the Great Hall of the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation on 27 January 2021, which was also the opening day of the Foundation's first virtual Mozartwoche festival. The acclaimed pianist's performance of the recently rediscovered Allegro in D K626b/16 was streamed on Deutsche Grammophon's DG Stage in the context of a full piano and lecture recital including other works by Mozart. A short version was broadcasted on DG's YouTube channel as well as on the Mozarteum's social media channels. The Yellow Label further marks this truly unique occasion with today's release of Ninety-Four Seconds of New Mozart, Cho's e‑single recording of the brief yet profoundly moving keyboard piece.

Stories
-
Seong-Jin Cho plays world premiere of newly discovered Mozart piano solo / euronews
Posted At : January 29, 2021 12:00 AM
euronews.....Katharina Rabillon writes......Mozart week 2021 is now underway. The opening concert was performed by Artistic Director, Rolando Villazón, as he took to the stage with the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra under the baton of Kery-Lynn Wilson. But the tribute to Mozart this year is marked by an extra special event: the world premiere of a previously unknown piece by the musical prodigy himself. The newly discovered piano solo, entitled Allegro in D - K.626b/16, was played by the world-famous pianist, Seong-Jin Cho in the Great Hall of the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation. The 94-second recital took place on the 27th of January, an iconic date that marked the 265th anniversary of the composer's birthday. The manuscript was written by Mozart in the late 18th century, most likely in 1773 whilst he was either ending a visit to Italy or already back in his native town of Salzburg, Austria. He would have been 17 at the time. The Director of Research at the Mozarteum Foundation, Ulrich Leisinger, told us that the "handwriting looks quite unusual for Mozart", but "has his characteristics" and "the score was obviously written very quickly". The paper he used to write it on was not music paper, but normal sheet paper. He drew the lines of the staves himself. It's truly a unique piece. Seong-Jin Cho's performance of Allegro in D K626b/16 was streamed on Deutsche Grammophon's DG Stage in the context of a full piano and lecture recital including other works by Mozart. A short version was broadcasted on DG's YouTube channel as well as on the Mozarteum's social media channels. The Yellow Label further marked this truly unique occasion by releasing the Ninety-Four Second recording. READ THE FULL euronews ARTICLE -
Cho Seong-jin to premiere unheard piece by Mozart, in Salzburg, on composer's 265th birthday / The Korea Times
Posted At : January 25, 2021 12:00 AM
The Korea Times - Kwon Mee-yoo writes.....Pianist Cho Seong-jin will premiere an unheard piece by Mozart in Salzburg on the occasion of the classical composer's 265th birthday. Cho will play Mozart's "Allegro in D K626b/16" at the Great Hall of the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation, Wednesday, which mark's the Austrian composer's birthday as well as the opening date of the first-ever virtual edition of Mozartwoche, or Mozart Week, festival. "It is a great honor to be invited to give the premiere of a formerly unknown work by Mozart in the city of Salzburg, where the composer was born," Cho wrote on his Twitter, Friday. READ THE FULL Korea Times ARTICLE -
Seong-Jin Cho - The Wanderer is a journey / LIMELIGHT
Posted At : August 26, 2020 12:00 AM
Too often we hear a piece of music or a live performance described as a "journey", but the latest release from Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho lives up to the cliché. Using Schubert's Wanderer Fantasie as a starting point, the 26-year-old virtuoso takes the listener on a road trip through that masterpiece's four movements, into the passionate late Romantic landscape of Alban Berg to finish up with the spectacular, vertiginous mountains and valleys of Liszt's Sonata in B Minor. And the ride is Bentley-smooth luxury with plush trimmings all the way. The fourth of his releases for Deutsche Grammophon, "The Wanderer" album is a sparkling showreel of Cho's talents and makes an impressive follow-up to his previous Mozart and Debussy albums. READ THE FULL LIMELIGHT REVIEW -
The Romantic theme of the wanderer runs through Seong-Jin Cho's latest solo album / WFMT: Featured New Release
Posted At : June 4, 2020 12:00 AM
The Romantic theme of the wanderer, a free spirit undertaking a journey into the self, runs through Seong-Jin Cho's latest solo album. The globetrotting Korean pianist's program includes two monuments of the 19th-century repertoire – Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy and Liszt's Piano Sonata in B minor. The album also contains Alban Berg's Piano Sonata, Op. 1, a single-movement work of extraordinary intensity. All three compositions grow from a simple theme or melodic gesture which is then transformed in the course of a voyage of variation, development, and discovery. "This music looks forwards and backwards at once," notes Cho. "What fascinates me is the (three) composers' ability to create great art from just a few elements. The way they develop the works' entire fabric from a single motif is fascinating." For Thursday June 4, 2020 - Seong-Jin Cho - The Wanderer is the WFMT: Chicago 'Featured New Release' -
Seong-Jin Cho returns to Shanghai to open the city's 10th 'Music in the Summer Air' festival / Shine
Posted At : July 5, 2019 12:00 AM
Seong-Jin Cho, the first Korean to win the International Chopin Competition in 2015, returned to Shanghai this week to perform with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra to open the city's 10th Music in the Summer Air festival. The city was among the first places Cho, 25, played after winning the prestigious event in Warsaw four years ago. He has gone on to play 100 concerts a year, working with musical masters around the world. For the festival opening on Tuesday, Cho played Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, under the baton of orchestra conductor Jaap van Zweden. Cho enjoys almost K-pop star status in his home country, but inside the veneer of fame lurks a very sensitive soul. He seems genuinely troubled when asked what he listens to outside of classical music. He frowns and spends a few seconds pondering the question. "Outside of classical music?" he says, pausing again. "Actually, I don't know much about ..." Another short pause. "British bands, sometimes I listen to the Beatles, but I mostly listen to classical music," he says. "Unfortunately, I don't have much time even to listen to that. If I have time, I usually go for classical music." READ THE FULL Shine ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho kicks off 47th Istanbul Music Festival / DAILY SABAH
Posted At : June 10, 2019 12:00 AM
The 47th Istanbul Music Festival will kick off tomorrow with performances by world-renowned musicians who have made praiseworthy personal touches on treasures of music history. Organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the festival, which will continue until June 30, has been given the theme "Darkness of Being, Lightness of Being," inspired by the role of music in the journey of enlightenment and the dual nature of the universe. This year's Festival is hosting 150 works at 15 venues and 22 concerts over 20 days with music from the most remarkable composers of the 20th century, including Baroque giants such as Bach, Vivaldi and Handel and also selections from Shostakovich, jazz and Ottoman classics. In its 47th year, it will highlight the importance of enlightenment through music, which is the most impressive type of art in expression of dualities in life while hosting performances and concerts that focus on the contrast of dark and light. The opening performance will be given by Seong-Jin Cho, born in 1994, the winner of the 17th International Fryderyk Piano Competition. The guest of major orchestras since October 2015, Simon Rattle, "a poet on the piano," as mentioned by Seong-Jin Choi, will perform for a Turkish audience for the first time. As the opening orchestra of Istanbul Music Festival, Tekfen Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing with conductor and art director Aziz Shokhakimov on Tuesday, June 11 at Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL DAILY SABAH ARTICLE -
Silence, sadness, and glee in Seong-Jin Cho's Mozart / WCRB: CD of the Week
Posted At : January 27, 2019 12:00 AM
The winner of the 2015 Chopin Competition is just 24 years old, but he has a handle on the special kind of wisdom required to make Mozart speak to each of us directly – and that wisdom is evident on his latest recording, WCRB: Boston CD of the Week. When writer Frances Wilson asked pianist Seong-Jin Cho what his idea of perfect happiness is, he said he loves being in a place where there is no noise. It's an unusual response, but this 24-year-old is unusual, too. While all composers coax their music from a personal brand of silence, Mozart's is special. When pianists tap into the power of it, the result is so affecting, it can almost feel as though Mozart knew our own secrets. -
Seong-Jin Cho turns things around in Eastman performance / Rochester City Newspaper
Posted At : January 18, 2019 12:00 AM
Pianist Seong-Jin Cho played a sold-out concert at Eastman School of Music's part of the Fernando Laires Piano Series, and his performance gradually became more effortless. Cho turned things around dramatically after the intermission with Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." From the bold and majestic chords of the recurring "Promenade" theme to the playful, rambunctious quality of "The Gnome" and the delightfully spry and witty reading of "Ballet of Unhatched Chicks," Cho seemed to relish the direct melodicism and implicit storytelling of Mussorgsky. The composer's fantastical Romanticism came alive, distilled through Cho's tumultuous, ecstatic energy. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} READ THE FULL Rochester City Newspaper ARTICLE -
Seong-Jin Cho interviews with Spokane Public Radio
Posted At : January 17, 2019 12:00 AM
Seong-Jin Cho recently released his first Mozart recording, Piano Concerto No. 20 & Sonatas, on Deutsche Grammophon, boasting a dynamic interpretation of one of the composer's most powerful and dramatic piano concertos. The Korean pianist was fortunate that his earliest memories of Mozart were fixed by his parents' recordings of two of the composer's greatest operas: The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute. They opened the young musician's heart to the limitless compassion of Mozart's music, which continues to resonate with Cho. "When I play, I try to play with my heart, sincerely," he observes. "I try to convey my feelings and emotion – I've always tried to tell a story to the audience." Mozart, he adds, is the ideal story-telling composer. "His music is always closely related to singing and opera; very often the melodic line has to be rather like bel canto." Cho sat down with Spokane Public Radio's Jim Tevenan to discuss the album. Listen to the attached interview. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho discusses new Mozart recording with New York's WKCR
Posted At : December 18, 2018 12:00 AM
Seong-Jin Cho recently released his first Mozart recording, Piano Concerto No. 20 & Sonatas, on Deutsche Grammophon, boasting a dynamic interpretation of one of the composer's most powerful and dramatic piano concertos. The Korean pianist was fortunate that his earliest memories of Mozart were fixed by his parents' recordings of two of the composer's greatest operas: The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute. They opened the young musician's heart to the limitless compassion of Mozart's music, which continues to resonate with Cho. "When I play, I try to play with my heart, sincerely," he observes. "I try to convey my feelings and emotion – I've always tried to tell a story to the audience." Mozart, he adds, is the ideal story-telling composer. "His music is always closely related to singing and opera; very often the melodic line has to be rather like bel canto." Cho sat down with WKCR: New York's Simon Cohen to discuss the album. Listen to the attached interview. -
Seong-Jin Cho - Mozart Piano Concertos is the WFMT 'Featured New Release'
Posted At : December 7, 2018 12:00 AM
Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 2015 International Chopin Competition, has long been steeped in the music of Mozart. "I always fell happy, I always enjoy it, when I play Mozart," he says. "For me, Mozart has everything; his music has so many layers." For this album, Cho collaborates with conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, who are sensitive partners in the dramatic D minor Concerto, K. 466. Two major-key sonatas provide contrast: the joyful K. 281 and the technically demanding K. 332. Seong-Jin Cho - Mozart Piano Concertos is the WFMT: Chicago 'Featured New Release' p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} -
Cho Seong-jin to join Salzburg Festival centennial in 2020 / The Korea Herald
Posted At : December 5, 2018 12:00 AM
Pianist Cho Seong-jin will perform at the Salzburg Festival in 2020, the year marking the prestigious music festival's centennial. "It's a great honor to join one of the world's most prominent and historic music festivals and also to debut in the year that it would celebrate its 100th anniversary. Though the program has not been decided, I would look forward to making my debut there with a good program," Cho told The Korea Herald. The Salzburg Festival 2019 will run from July 20 through Aug. 31. During the 43-day period, the festival will hold 199 performances at 16 venues that span across the birth city of Mozart, bringing together new operas, acclaimed orchestras, conductors and soloists. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} span.Apple-tab-span {white-space:pre} READ THE FULL The Korea Herald ARTICLE -
IdeaStationWCVE discusses Mozart with Seong-Jin Cho
Posted At : November 30, 2018 12:00 AM
Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho has released a new album featuring works by Mozart. It includes two sonatas, as well as the iconic Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor performed with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. WCVE: Richmond VA, Classical Music Host, sat down with Seong-Jin to discuss his collaboration with Nézet-Séguin, as well as his earliest memories of listening to Mozart from his parents' opera recordings. We also discussed the dramatic shifts from minor to major in a couple of these works. LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d; min-height: 14.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho - Mozart Piano Concertos is a perfect blend of refinement and rhythmic vitality / Classical Music Sentinel
Posted At : November 20, 2018 12:00 AM
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #4d4d4d} South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho won the First Prize at the 2015 Chopin International Competition in Warsaw. In 2016, he signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon, one of the most illustrious classical music labels. He has already released two recordings for the label which include a Chopin Piano Concerto and solo piano works by Claude Debussy, both of which have received critical acclaim worldwide. And if this new Mozart recording is any indication, I can understand why. There's a perfect blend of refinement and rhythmic vitality in his playing. Combine that with precision of attack, precise phrasing, fluid dynamic control and expressive discourse on the fly, and you have an effective combination of skills that lend his playing a lyrical quality. And what I find most impressive is the perfect balance he achieves between his left and right hand, as if they are holding their own personal conversation within the general interplay between piano and orchestra, with the left hand having just as much to say as the right hand. And conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin's dramatic perspective of the orchestral writing in the concerto, adds an operatic touch to the whole experience. READ THE FULL Classical Music Sentinel REVIEW -
Seong-Jin Cho, set to release his first Mozart recording, speaks with classical radio
Posted At : October 30, 2018 12:00 AM
Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho will release his first Mozart recording, Piano Concerto No. 20 & Sonatas, via Deutsche Grammophon on November 16. Cho was fortunate that his earliest memories of Mozart were fixed by his parents' recordings of two of the composer's greatest operas: The Marriage of Figaro and The Magic Flute. They opened the young musician's heart to the limitless compassion of Mozart's music, which continues to resonate with Cho. "When I play, I try to play with my heart, sincerely," he observes. "I try to convey my feelings and emotion – I've always tried to tell a story to the audience." Mozart, he adds, is the ideal story-telling composer. "His music is always closely related to singing and opera; very often the melodic line has to be rather like bel canto." In conjunction with this new release SJC has made himself available to US classical radio for interview today - Oct 30, 2018. Watch for our tweets throught the day -
Seong-Jin Cho had guns a blazin at UCPresents debut / Chicago Classical Review
Posted At : October 27, 2018 12:00 AM
Gold Medal winner of the 2015 Chopin Competition, Seong-Jin Cho immediately became a classical rock star in his native South Korea. His rapid ascent was aided by a high-powered Deutsche Grammophon contract and a swelling of national pride in his being the first Korean winner of the venerable Chopin Competition. Clearly, the slender 24-year-old pianist's youthful good looks don't hurt either. One got a strong sense of Cho's remarkable popularity with Friday's turnout in Hyde Park, as the usually low-key University of Chicago Presents venue took on the trappings of a Hollywood red carpet. The regular UC audience was swelled by Cho fans-predominantly Asian, young and female-who were buzzing excitedly in the lobby before the concert. Afterwards, Cho graciously stayed for over an hour to take photos with his admirers and sign CDs of his recordings. The queueing multitude stretched the length of the long lobby, from Mandel Hall out the doors to 57th street. So, what about the playing? Cho clearly possesses a world-class technique, polished to a high sheen. His arsenal is complete and unassailable, the pianist vaulting through some of the most technically demanding repertoire with guns blazing and nary a slip. Friday's concert offered about as thrilling a display of sheer powerhouse keyboard bravura as one is ever likely to encounter. READ THE FULL Chicago Classical Review -
Seong-Jin Cho set for 2 Bay Area concerts with Stanford Live & San Francisco Performances / The Mercury News
Posted At : October 15, 2018 12:00 AM
Ever since his Gold Medal win at the 2015 Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho has been dazzling audiences with a rare blend of phenomenal technique and depth of artistic insight. Now he's set to appear in back-to-back Bay Area performances, each one with a different program. First on the schedule is a recital at Stanford Live; the next evening, he'll appear at Herbst Theatre for San Francisco Performances. Both programs include Chopin's Polonaise Fantasy; at Stanford, he'll also play the composer's Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor and Ballade No. 3, along with Debussy's "Images," Books 1 and 2. The San Francisco program includes Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition," along with works by Bach and Schubert. Details: 2:30 p.m. Oct. 21, Bing Concert Hall, Stanford University, $42-$87, 650-724-2464, live.stanford.edu.; 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, Herbst Theatre, S.F., $45-$75, 415-392-2545, www.sfperformances.org READ THE FULL Mercury News ARTICLE -
Seong-Jin Cho discusses Debussy recording with NETNebraska
Posted At : August 23, 2018 12:00 AM
Following his two previous Chopin albums on the Yellow Label, it is entirely fitting that Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, should turn to Debussy for his third album. Towards his life's close, the French composer edited the piano works of Chopin, an experience that reignited his creativity, opening his heart to music he had loved since childhood. In turn, Cho's connection to Debussy runs deep. "I have always loved Debussy's music, but my feeling for it has deepened during my studies with Michel Béroff at the Paris Conservatoire," Cho recalls. NETNebraska - Classical Music Host, Robert Goldberg sat down with the Seong-Jin Cho to discuss the new recording. Listen to the attached file. -
Debussy came naturally for Seong-Jin Cho on new DG recording / MOOD
Posted At : July 12, 2018 12:00 AM
Soft-spoken in conversation, Seong-Jin Cho is a force at the piano. At only 24-years-old, he has already released his third album, a collection of works by Debussy, on the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon label. It was his win in 2015 at the XVII International Chopin Piano Competition that propelled him to fame and landed him his first album with Deutsche Grammophon. A Debussy album came naturally for Cho. Born in South Korea, he has been studying with Michel Béroff in Paris for several years, so it is fitting that he should release an album of works from this iconic French composer. But well before his Paris studies began, he was already exploring music by Debussy. "I gave my first public recital when I was 11 years old in Korea and I played music by Mozart, Chopin, and Debussy at that time…Debussy's music has been very, very natural for me because I have been playing it [for] so long. And living in Paris, also, inspires me a lot to interpret his music." READ THE FULL MOOD:MEDIA ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} -
A serious Wigmore Hall programme highlights the virtuosic qualities of Matthias Goerne and Seong-Jin Cho / musicOMH
Posted At : April 27, 2018 12:00 AM
Matthias Goerne, now at the very peak of his powers, has chosen his accompanists from amongst the most eminent; Seong-Jin Cho must surely be the youngest to partner him, and it was remarkable that this almost 24 year-old was able match Goerne's level of intensity and mature understanding. This uncompromisingly serious Wigmore Hall programme, often focusing on songs of evening reflection, highlighted the virtuosic qualities of both baritone and pianist whilst maintaining the most exalted of musical values. READ THE FULL musicOMH REVIEW p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} -
Seong-Jin Cho turns to Debussy for 3rd album / 89.7WCPE
Posted At : April 18, 2018 12:00 AM
Following his two previous Chopin albums on the Yellow Label, it is entirely fitting that Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, should turn to Debussy for his third album. Towards his life's close, the French composer edited the piano works of Chopin, an experience that reignited his creativity, opening his heart to music he had loved since childhood. In turn, Cho's connection to Debussy runs deep. "I have always loved Debussy's music, but my feeling for it has deepened during my studies with Michel Béroff at the Paris Conservatoire," Cho recalls. 89.7WCPE: Wake Forest NC - Classical Music Host, Jonny Pierce sat down with the Seong-Jin Cho to discuss the new recording. Listen to the attached file. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} -
Seong-Jin Cho - Debussy is WRTI: Album Of the Week
Posted At : April 2, 2018 12:00 AM
The reviews are in! Pianist Seong-Jin Cho has put together a splendid recording of the keyboard music of Claude Debussy. Just listen to his new Debussy album. Cho's marvelous interpretations make one realize that new discoveries in performance still take place, even a century after the composer's death. That's equally true for the disc's oft-recorded works, which include both books of Images, L'Îsle joyeuse, The Children's Corner, and Suite bergamasque. Seong-Jin Cho - Debussy is WRTI: Album Of the Week for April 2, 2018. READ THE FULL WRTI: Philadelphia ARTICLE p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho discusses deep connection to Debussy on IdeaStation - 88.9 WCVE
Posted At : March 27, 2018 12:00 AM
The young pianist Seong-Jin Cho has made quite a name for himself since winning the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition. His latest release highlights the solo piano music of Claude Debussy. Cho's connection to Debussy runs deep. "I have always loved Debussy's music, but my feeling for it has deepened during my studies with Michel Béroff at the Paris Conservatoire," Cho recalls. "Michel never presses me to accept his ideas on interpretation, which would be so easy for such a great master of Debussy's music. His lessons are like meetings in which we discuss my playing, talk about music and art, and allow things to develop naturally." This year is the 100th aniversary of Claude Debussy's death. Later in life, Debussy edited the piano works of Chopin, an experience that reignited his creativity and opened his heart to music he had loved since childhood. Cho explains the connection and why this album is so fitting, following two releases of Chopin's music. 88.9 WCVE: Richmond VA - Classical Music Host, Mike Goldberg sat down with Cho to discuss the album. LISTEN -
New Classical Tracks features Debussy recording from Seong-Jin Cho
Posted At : March 21, 2018 12:00 AM
Before winning the gold medal at the International Chopin Competition in 2015, South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho performed 20 or 30 concerts a year. Since winning that prestigious award, he's tripled the amount of concerts on his schedule, including several which found him filling in for the piano superstar, Lang Lang, who's been nursing an injured hand. After releasing two Chopin recordings, Seong-Jin Cho has turned to the music of Debussy on his latest release. LISTEN TO New Classical Tracks SEGMENT p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} New Classical Tracks is a Syndicated Feature airing Nationally on Classical 24 and Statewide on Minnesota Public Radio -
Seong-Jin Cho, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and Silk Road's Wu Man, on this week's KCRW: Rhythm Planet
Posted At : March 2, 2018 12:00 AM
We begin this week's show with the music of three artists with performances in So Cal in the upcoming week. First up, we hear Wu Man, a virtuoso on the Chinese traditional instrument called the pipa. She's brought the 4-stringed instrument onto the world stage, touring with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble and other major groups, blending the pipa with Western traditions on the way. Wu is on a 12-city U.S. tour during the month of March and lands at the Huntington Library in San Marino on Monday, March 5 and at UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, March 8. She performs with the Huayin Shadow Puppet Band, a rural puppetry group previously unknown outside of China that has existed for over 300 years. Band members are comprised of farmers from Shaanxi Province. Pianist Seong-Jin Cho has become a favorite of mine ever since I heard his wonderful new Deutsche Grammophon recording Debussy. He performs at the Soka University Performing Arts Center in Aliso Viejo on Saturday, March 3 (tomorrow!), with two shows to accommodate the demand. The program includes works by Debussy, Chopin, and Beethoven. Click HERE for tickets to the 4 p.m show and HERE for tickets to the 8 p.m. Sheku Kanneh-Mason is a young British virtuoso cellist who has been winning hearts and minds wherever he performs. We hear him play the song "Evening of Roses" by Israeli composer Yosef Hardar. The new CD, Inspiration, also features works by Saint-Saëns, Pablo Casals, Shostakovich, as well as covers of Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry" and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah."
READ THE FULL KCRW: Los Angeles, Rhythm Planet ARTICLE -
Seong-Jin Cho, set for Chamber Music San Francisco, speaks with KDFC - The State Of the Arts
Posted At : February 28, 2018 12:00 AM
Seong-Jin Cho won the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, and since then, his career has been on an upward trajectory. The CD release that followed the win was ranked number 1 on the Korean Pop charts, and his latest DG release - Debussy, his third album. Towards his life's close, the French composer edited the piano works of Chopin, an experience that reignited his creativity, opening his heart to music he had loved since childhood. In turn, Cho's connection to Debussy runs deep. "I have always loved Debussy's music, but my feeling for it has deepened during my studies with Michel Béroff at the Paris Conservatoire," he recalls. Just last November, Cho substituted for Lang Lang in concerts with Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. He's playing this Sunday afternoon March 4th at Herbst Theatre through Chamber Music San Francisco. LISTEN TO Jeffrey Freymann's interview p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho set for Chamber Music San Francisco at Herbst Theatre / KDFC Radio
Posted At : February 27, 2018 12:00 AM
Seong-Jin Cho won the International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015, and since then, his career has been on an upward trajectory. The CD release that followed the win was ranked number 1 on the Korean Pop charts, and just last November, he substituted for Lang Lang in concerts with Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. He's playing this Sunday afternoon at Herbst Theatre through Chamber Music San Francisco. LISTEN TO THE KDFC: San Francisco SEGMENT -
Seong-Jin Cho plays 105.9WQXR Facebook Live
Posted At : February 22, 2018 12:00 AM
Following his two previous Chopin albums on DG, Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, has turned to Debussy for his third album. Towards his life's close, the French composer edited the piano works of Chopin, an experience that reignited his creativity, opening his heart to music he had loved since childhood. In turn, Cho's connection to Debussy runs deep. "I have always loved Debussy's music, but my feeling for it has deepened during my studies with Michel Béroff at the Paris Conservatoire," Cho recalls. "Michel never presses me to accept his ideas on interpretation, which would be so easy for such a great master of Debussy's music. His lessons are like meetings in which we discuss my playing, talk about music and art, and allow things to develop naturally." Cho spoke with several classical radio stations earlier this week and also stopped by New York's classical station 105.9 - 'WQXR' for a Facebook Live Streaming event. Watch the attached segment. -
Seong-Jin Cho embarks on 9 U.S. cities recital tour
Posted At : February 21, 2018 12:00 AM
Just off the heels of a sold-out 14-city recital tour of Korea and Japan, piano sensation Seong-Jin Cho will embark in February on a U.S. recital tour to 9 cities from New York to San Francisco. The tour commences on February 21, 2018 in New Jersey and heads north to Massachusetts and Ontario, where Cho replaces an indisposed Lang Lang in his debut at Canada's National Arts Centre in Ottawa. From there, Cho moves west to Arizona and California, where he returns to San Francisco's Herbst Theatre, and he plays the final date of the tour on March 6, 2018 at Rockellefer University in New York City. The February/March 2018 U.S. recital tour will be a rare opportunity for fans and music-lovers to see Seong-Jin live in recital before his 2019 return to Carnegie Hall. Three of the 10 concerts are already sold out: February 25th at Rockport Music (Massachusetts), March 3rd at 8pm at Soka Performing Arts Center (California) and March 6th at Rockefeller University (New York). Yesterday, Cho conducted a series of interviews with classical radio stations around the US. Here are the Tour Dates. February 21, 2018 at 7:30pm: McCarter Theatre, Princeton NJ February 23, 2018 at 8pm: Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood NJ February 25, 2018 at 3pm: Rockport Music, Rockport MA (Sold Out) February 27, 2018 at 8pm: National Arts Centre, Ottawa ON February 28, 2018 at 7:30pm: University of Colorado, Colorado Springs CO March 2, 2018 at 8pm: Scottsdale Center for the Arts, Scottsdale AZ March 3, 2018 at 4pm and 8pm: Soka Performing Arts Center, Aliso Viejo CA (8pm Sold Out) March 4, 2018 at 3pm: Chamber Music San Francisco, Herbst Theater, San Francisco CA March 6, 2018 at 7:30pm: Rockefeller University, New York NY (Sold Out)
Here is the Program BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in C Minor, No. 8, Op. 13 "Pathétique"
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in E Major, No. 30, Op. 109
DEBUSSY: Images, Book II for Solo Piano
CHOPIN: Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58 p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho interviews with classical radio about new Debussy recording
Posted At : February 20, 2018 12:00 AM
Following his two previous Chopin albums on the Yellow Label, it is entirely fitting that Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 2015 International Chopin Piano Competition, should turn to Debussy for his third album. Towards his life's close, the French composer edited the piano works of Chopin, an experience that reignited his creativity, opening his heart to music he had loved since childhood. In turn, Cho's connection to Debussy runs deep. "I have always loved Debussy's music, but my feeling for it has deepened during my studies with Michel Béroff at the Paris Conservatoire," Cho recalls. "Michel never presses me to accept his ideas on interpretation, which would be so easy for such a great master of Debussy's music. His lessons are like meetings in which we discuss my playing, talk about music and art, and allow things to develop naturally." In conjunction with the album release, Seong-Jin Cho will be speaking today with Classical Radio Stations throughout the US including; C24 Network, MOOD Media KDFC in San Francisco, KMFA: Austin, WCPE: Wake Forest NC, WCVE: Richmond VA,and Statewide Networks - Minnesota Public Radio and Net Nebraska. Watch for our tweets. -
30 seconds in Abu Dhabi with Seong-Jin Cho / gulfnews.com
Posted At : February 15, 2018 12:00 AM
Rising Korean pianist and Chopin competition gold medallist, Seong-Jin Cho recently released an album of Debussy on DG, his third. Following the pianist two previous Chopin albums, it is fitting that he now select Debussy, the French composer who towards the end of his life chose to edit the piano works of Chopin, an experience that reignited his creativity, opening his heart to music he had loved since childhood. In turn, Cho's connection to Debussy runs deep. "I have always loved Debussy's music, but my feeling for it has deepened during my studies with Michel Béroff at the Paris Conservatoire," Cho recalls. READ THE gulfnews.com Q&A on Cho's debut recital at the Abu Dhabi Classics series p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} -
At only 23, Seong-Jin Cho's new recording belongs in legendary Debussy company / KCRW: Rhythm Planet
Posted At : January 8, 2018 12:00 AM
The music of Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was my first major classical discovery, and I've written before about my deep love for his music. Debussy's compositions were revolutionary for his time, representing an original and utterly new style. His music sounded enigmatic and mysterious, and would feature whole-tone runs inspired by Balinese gamelan music he first heard at the 1889 Paris World's Fair. His musical canvases have been compared to the paintings of Monet, Degas and Cézanne; like them, he was called an impressionist. Debussy loved abstraction, often using no particular harmonic tonal center, which gives his piano works an otherworldly feel. On "La Cathédrale Engloutie" (The Sunken Cathedral) for instance, Debussy's pedal work makes the piano sound like it's underwater. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Helvetica Neue'; color: #606060; min-height: 14.0px} To mark the centennial of Debussy's death, Deutsche Grammphon just released a stunning new recording of his piano works by the young South Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho. Numerous great pianists such as Walter Gieseking, Claudio Arrau, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, have recorded Debussy. And although he is only 23 years old, I think Cho's new recording belongs in such legendary company. He superbly captures and sings the beauty of Debussy's works throughout the lovely new album. READ THE FULL KCRW: Los Angeles, Rhythm Planet REVIEW -
Seong-Jin Cho - Debussy is the WFMT: Featured New Release
Posted At : January 2, 2018 12:00 AM
2015 Chopin Competition winner Seong-Jin Cho explores Debussy's piano music on this new collection. Following his two best-selling all-Chopin albums, the pianist brings together some of the French composer's most popular works and cycles, including Suite bergamasque (with the beloved Clair de lune) and Children's Corner. The latter contains favorites of every aspiring pianist, but despite its name it is "grown-up music," says Cho. Images, meanwhile, he describes as "an absolute masterpiece, incredibly atmospheric and highly poetic." Seong-Jin Cho - Debussy is the WFMT: Chicago 'Featured New Release' for Tuesday January 2, 2018. -
Seong-Jin Cho set for Vancouver Chopin Society - 2017-18 season / Straight.com
Posted At : August 24, 2017 12:00 AM
The Vancouver Chopin Society has announced some big names in the piano world for its 20th-anniversary season. South Korean Seong-Jin Cho, gold medallist at 2015's International Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, joins the 2017-18 roster with his Vancouver debut (November 12 at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts). Seong-Jin Cho, winner of the 17th annual Competition, the pianist made his Deutsche Grammophon debut with LIVE solo album of highlights from the 21-year-old South Korean pianist's recital rounds. The project starts a long-term collaboration between DG and the Fryderyk Chopin Institute, created to promote the work of outstanding interpreters of Chopin's music. Seong-Jin Cho followed up with his 2nd DG recording of - CHOPIN Piano Concerto No 1. Ballades. READ THE FULL Straight.com POST p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial; min-height: 11.0px} p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Arial; min-height: 11.0px} -
Winning International Chopin Piano Competition, Seong-Jin Cho knew his future was set / Washington Post
Posted At : July 14, 2017 12:00 AM
Nothing captures the ambivalence many musicians feel toward piano competitions - those high-stakes Olympics of the musical world - better than the reaction of the rising South Korean star Seong-Jin Cho, to winning the legendary International Chopin Piano Competition in 2015. "I was really happy, because I wouldn't have to play in any more competitions," Cho recalls. Cho, then 21, had endured three nerve-racking weeks of competition in Warsaw. He won over the 17-member jury with his rare combination of technical bravura, artistic maturity and freshness of insight across the range of Chopin's piano writing. "Cho was remarkable," said Garrick Ohlsson, the 1970 Chopin competition gold medalist who served on the 2015 jury, speaking by telephone from North Carolina last month. "He was such a complete young artist." With his gold medal, Cho knew his immediate future was set - or as set as any young classical musician's can be. He was propelled to overnight celebrity in his home country, and he secured major concert dates and a recording contract with Deutsche Grammophon. He could leave behind the pressure-filled, circuslike and often political world of piano competitions. The prestige of the Chopin competition will precede Cho, now 23, everywhere he goes in the coming years. In a telephone interview from Berlin, where he was recording a new Debussy album last month, Cho spoke pragmatically about why a major competition win helped his career. READ THE FULL Washington Post ARTICLE -
Seong-Jin Cho & Silk Road Ensemble on HPR - Classical Pacific
Posted At : July 7, 2017 12:00 AM
Welcome to Classical Pacific for Friday, July 7th, 2017 on HPR 2. I'm your host, John Zak. Today on Classical Pacific, we will celebrate music of Chopin, Grieg, and Dvorak. You will be absolutely transported by pianist, Seong - Jin Cho and the London Symphony Orchestra in a performance of "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra number 1 in E Minor opus 11." He was only 21 years old that the time of that recording. We'll also hear some offerings by Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble. We'll hear two works by Edvard Grieg, and two beautiful pieces by Antonin Dvorak, as well. It's Pau Hana, classical style, on Classical Pacific! -
Seong-Jin Cho plays Herbst Theatre. San Francisco Chronicle says: 'this guy's an artist'
Posted At : March 3, 2017 12:00 AM
Seong-Jin Cho, the 22-year-old South Korean pianist who made an enchanting local recital debut on Tuesday, March 28, burst into view in 2015 with a victory at the International Chopin Piano Competition. But don't let the competition medal fool you. This guy's an artist. Appearing in Herbst Theatre under the auspices of Chamber Music San Francisco, Cho showed off all the technical bravura that so often wins contests. He can get around the keyboard in no time flat, he can roll out thunderous chords and flying octaves without missing a step, and he mines the instrument for a wealth of textural detail and finely judged sonorities. None of that, though, sets him particularly apart from your run-of-the-mill keyboard virtuoso. What Cho boasts, as old-fashioned as this may sound, is a poetic sensibility that evokes the fantastical sound world of the early Romantics. I suspect that's why the music of Chopin seems to bring out the most revelatory side of Cho's playing (he made his first local appearance in November, giving a superb rendition of the composer's Piano Concerto No. 1 with the touring Warsaw Philharmonic). He approaches the music in a way that makes it sound quasi-improvisational, as though the interpretive choices and shifts in tempo or timing had only just occurred to him. READ THE FULL San Francisco Chronicle REVIEW -
Chopin by Seong-Jin Cho / The Vanderbilt Hustler review
Posted At : February 17, 2017 12:00 AM
Seong -Jin Cho's new studio album shows how much his style has matured since the competition. While his previous renditions dwelt on exalting the lyricism and beauty of a piece, they now focus on a broader range of emotions. In the first Ballade, for instance, the pianist shatters the composition's pensive depth by concluding in an almost hysterical cackle of notes. And throughout the ballade, he imbues the fast lower notes with a kind of dark charisma, only to quickly transition to an agitated striking of high keys that almost sounds like a cry for help. But this doesn't mean that the first ballade is not without its lyricism; the first variation of the second theme is particularly lovely, and its subsequent variations feel grandly romantic. READ THE FULL Vanderbilt Hustler -
Seong-Jin Cho Plays Chopin / WFMT: Featured New Release
Posted At : January 9, 2017 12:00 AM
Winner of the 2015 Chopin Piano Competition, Seong-Jin Cho presents his first ever studio recording. Combining Chopin's First Piano Concerto with the Four Ballades, this coupling displays his brilliant fingerwork and mastery of characterization. Cho recorded the concerto at London's famous Abbey Road Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra and its new Principal Guest Conductor, Gianandrea Noseda. The Chopin: Piano Concerto No 1 in E minor, Op 11 (41:15) from Seong-Jin Cho Plays Chopin on Deutsche Grammophon is TODAY's WFMT: Chicago - Featured Release.
Seong-Jin Cho, piano; London Symphony Orchestra / Gianandrea Noseda p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho blends poetry on new Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 - Ballades / Financial Times
Posted At : December 22, 2016 12:00 AM
A year on from winning the International Chopin Piano Competition Seong-Jin Cho from South Korea continues to play to his strengths. In Chopin's glittering and lyrical Piano Concerto No. 1, the E Minor, he blends poetry with a stream of limpid, sparking fingerwork that is never overblown or showy, and is supported by a keenly played accompaniment from the London Symphony Orchestra under Gianandrea Noseda. The four Ballades are quite different. Here we have playing fit for the intimacy of the salon. At times, the music seems to linger on the borders of a dream world. READ THE FULL Financial Times REVIEW p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho's Chopin recording is a mature, touching and passionate debut / theguardian
Posted At : December 22, 2016 12:00 AM
Seong-Jin Cho's first studio recording brings together the concerto with which the 22-year-old pianist won the coveted Chopin prize: "the composer's No 1", with the four Ballades for solo piano. In an interview in the CD booklet, he says some delightfully insightful and mature things about the quiet passages being the ones you have to watch out for, and, given how Chopin's music needs above all to sing, his excitement at working with such an operatically inclined conductor as Gianandrea Noseda. Happily, they are all borne out by the performances here. The tenderest passages in the concerto have a touching reticence, and there are times in the Ballades when he almost seems to be enjoying hanging back and confounding our expectations of exactly where this music's passionate eruptions happen. Perhaps sometimes there's room for a little more abandon, but this is definitely a disc that confirms a major talent. SEE theguardian PAGE p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho takes Chopin through the roof at Davies Hall / San Francisco Classical Voice
Posted At : November 9, 2016 12:00 AM
Bay Area Chopin fans finally had to have a chance to hear the winner of the 2015 Chopin Piano Competition, Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho, on a U.S. tour with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Jacek Kaspszyk, the orchestra which accompanied Cho at the final stage of the competition. Anticipation was high at Davies Symphony Hall on Nov. 6, with a large percentage of Korean and Polish speakers in the audience. The most spectacular aspect of the performance was how "in concert" Cho was with the orchestra. It goes without saying that this particular orchestra is thoroughly familiar with the piece, and it anticipated every subtle sway in the tempo, every sigh, and every revelation in the score. There were moments Cho pushed the rhythmic elasticity indulgently, yet Kaspszyk and the orchestra were right there with him. The boisterous pace in the final movement was inebriated with joy, filled with surprises, and executed with exuberance. READ THE FULL San Francisco Classical Voice REVIEW p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho with Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra are outstanding at UMass Amherst / MassLive.com
Posted At : October 31, 2016 12:00 AM
A star is born every 5 years. At least, it can seem that way if you're a fan of classical pianists. The International Chopin Piano Competition has been held off and on in Warsaw, Poland since 1927. Then in 1955, this prestigious competition stuck to its current 5-year schedule. Since then, many of the winners have included some of the world's best pianists. Maurizio Pollini in 1960.
Martha Argerich in 1965.
Garrick Ohlsson in 1970.
Krystian Zimermann in 1975. Even the list of pianists who almost won is impressive - Vladimir Ashkenazy (runner up in 1955), Mitsuko Uchida (runner up in 1970) and Daniil Trifonov (3rd place in 2010). The most recent winner is Seong-Jin Cho of South Korea, who won the 17th International Chopin Piano Competition last year. Cho will make his Carnegie Hall solo debut on Feb. 22. Between now and then, the 22-year-old pianist is playing a series of solo recitals and concerts with orchestras around the world. On Sunday night, Cho's tour include a stop at the University of Massachusetts Fine Arts Center Concert Hall. There, he performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Opus 37, with the outstanding Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra. Photo by Ken Ross READ THE FULL MassLive.com REVIEW p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 10.0px Helvetica; min-height: 12.0px} -
Seong-Jin Cho, St John's Smith Square, London / theartsdesk
Posted At : March 12, 2016 12:00 AM
It's always heartening to see a full house for a debut recital, though when expectations run so high, the stakes for the pianist can be dangerously raised. No worries at St John's Smith Square, though, for Seong-Jin Cho, the International Chopin Competition winner. The diminutive, young South Korean musician who took the platform in front of a capacity crowd last night made waves last autumn upon winning the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, and his first recording (on DG) likewise whetted appetites for his first visit to the Southbank Centre's International Piano Series, which is currently being held at St John's while the Queen Elizabeth Hall is closed for refurbishing. Cho offered an all-Chopin programme, unsurprisingly (more surprising is that the series is presenting three all-Chopin recitals in a row – still, it's great that people like Chopin so much). This was a taster-menu approach, with one item apiece from seven different genres, but that made for good contrasts. And what emerged was playing that increased incrementally in sophistication and poetry with the musical challenges of the works. At his finest, Cho's mix of imagination, pacing, balance and control produced moments of spellbinding sonic art. READ THE FULL artsdesk ARTICLE -
Cho Seong-jin's new DG album already sold out / The Korea Times
Posted At : February 23, 2016 12:00 AM
Pianist Cho Seong-jin's second live album has already sold out its initial production run on pre-order before its release. The 20,000 copies of the album, released Tuesday, have already sold out through online pre-order sales which began Feb. 5 and pre-orders received through offline music stores. The album is currently under production for additional orders. The newly released album is a recording of Cho's performance at the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition held last October in Warsaw, Poland. It was officially produced by the Fryderyk Chopin Institute which hosted the international piano competition. This is the second album featuring Cho's performance at the Chopin competition, following the first released by the Deutsche Grammophon (DG) label last November. The 50,000 copies of the first album sold out in less than a week and a total of over 90,000 copies were sold solely in Korea. READ THE FULL Korea Times ARTICLE READ KPopStarz ARTICLE -
Seong-jin Cho Unveils Live Recording - The Korea Times article
Posted At : February 16, 2016 12:00 AM
Pianist Seong-jin Cho, winner of the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, has released a live recording of his performance under the label of the "Fryderyk Chopin Institute," before releasing the official album later this month. In the coming recordings, Cho's performances from his preliminary round on Oct. 3 to the final round on Oct. 14 are featured. They include his interpretation of Piano Concerto No.1 in E minor, Etude Op. 10, Mazurkas, Ballad Op. 38 and Fantasy in F minor, Op, 49. READ THE FULL The Korea Times ARTICLE