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Yeol Eum Son

A double Second Prize winner at the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in 2011 and at the 13th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2009 Yeol Eum Son’s graceful interpretations, crystalline touch and versatile, thrilling performances have caught the attention of audiences worldwide.

 

Favourite among international orchestras and distinguished conductors, Yeol Eum enjoys close and successful collaboration with Maestro Valery Gergiev and Maestro Dimitrij Kitajenko with whom she appeared on multiple occasions with the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Tonkünstler-Orchesters Niederösterreich and Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also performed with the New York Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, NHK Symphony, Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony, KBS Symphony Orchestra, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, St. Petersburg Academic Symphony, NDR Radio Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Symphony Orchestra and Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken Kaiserslautern.

 

Sensitive, emotional and powerful pianist, Yeol Eum gives frequent solo and chamber music performances around the world. Recent recital highlights include the Mariinsky Concert Hall, Bad-Kissingen Summer Music Festival, Besancon Festival, Rotterdam Gergiev Festival, Helsingborg Piano Festival as well as many chamber concerts and with violinists Clara-Jumi Kang, Svetlin Roussev and Kumho-Asiana Soloists group. Future recitals include debut dates at the Fribourg International Piano Series in Switzerland, with San Francisco Chamber Music Society and at the Philipps Collection in Washington DC. Yeol Eum will also return to the PyeongChang Music Festival and Mariinsky Theatre.

 

Concerto highlights of her current and upcoming seasons include appearances with the Gürzenich-Orchester Köln, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Bergen Philharmonic and Dresden Philharmonic under the baton of Dmitrij Kitajenko; Paris debut date with Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Mikko Franck; a European tour with KBS Symphony Orchestra under Yoel Levi; Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra and the closing concert of the I International Mariinsky Far East Festival in Vladivostok under Valery Gergiev.

 

In February 2016, Yeol Eum released a new album under Universal Music Korea entitled Modern Times, featuring the music of early 20th century composers: Berg, Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Ravel. Her discography also includes her debut CD of complete Chopin Etudes released in 2004 and Chopin Nocturnes for Piano and Strings released in 2008, both under the Universal Music label, her prize-winning Cliburn Competition live performance recording released in 2009 by Harmonia Mundi and a multi-channel SACD O’ New World Music released in 2012 under an independent Korean label.

 

Yeol Eum Son currently studies with Arie Vardi at the Hochschule für Musik Theater und Medien Hannover in Germany, where she now lives. She holds a degree from the Korean National University of Arts, under the guidance of Dae Jin Kim. Previously she had studied with Cheng-Zong Yin, one of China’s most prominent pianists. Yeol Eum is an honorary ambassador of the Seoul Arts Center and her home city of Wonju.