Chung Mong-Koo Foundation's pianists sweep international awards

Three young Korean pianists supported by Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation won prizes at international competitions in Europe and the United States this year. Shin Young-ho placed second at the Giovanni Battista Viotti International Music Competition in Italy on Oct. 17, and Lee Jeong-woo won first prize at the George Enescu International Competition in Romania in September. Lee Ju-eon won prizes at three U.S. competitions, as the scholarship recipients pursue international careers.

Shin, 19, received a foundation scholarship in 2023 and is studying at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris.

Lee Jeong-woo, 18, performed Frederic Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in the George Enescu final at the Romanian Athenaeum on Sept. 19.

Lee Jeong-woo’s first prize includes an opportunity to perform a recital at Salle Cortot in Paris during the 2028-29 season.

Lee Ju-eon, 15, won first prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition in March and the junior division of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in June.

At the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists in July, Lee Ju-eon won second prize in the junior division and a special award for his performance of a 20th-century work.

Published Oct 23, 2026 7:00 am KST

From left are pianists Shin Young-ho, Lee Jeong-woo and Lee Ju-eon. Courtesy of Chung Mong-Koo Foundation

Three young Korean pianists — supported by Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation — have earned international recognition this year, winning top prizes at major competitions in Europe and the United States.

Shin Young-ho, 19, placed second in the piano category at the 76th Giovanni Battista Viotti International Music Competition, which concluded in Vercelli, Italy, on Oct. 17.

Lee Jeong-woo, 18, won first prize at the 20th George Enescu International Competition in Bucharest, Romania, in September, while Lee Ju-eon, 15, claimed prizes at three international piano competitions in the United States during the first half of the year.

The achievements highlight the progress of a new generation of pianists who have received sustained support from the foundation, as they pursue international careers.

Shin continued his strong performance on the international competition circuit, following a second-place finish at the Dublin International Piano Competition and a special prize at the Pancho Vladigerov International Piano Competition, both held in 2025.

Selected as a foundation scholarship recipient in 2023, Shin is currently studying at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris.

“I am pleased to have achieved a good result despite the short preparation period,” Shin said. “I will show how much I have grown.”

Lee Jeong-woo delivered one of the year's most notable performances among the foundation's scholarship recipients, winning first prize in the piano category at the George Enescu International Competition on Sept. 19. In the final at the Romanian Athenaeum, he performed Frederic Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2.

The last award will give him an opportunity to perform a recital at Salle Cortot in Paris during the 2028-29 season.

Lee was selected for the foundation's scholarship program in 2022 while attending Yewon School, a Seoul-based renowned arts school. He previously won first prize in the senior category at the Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in Germany in 2024.

Lee Ju-eon, the youngest of the three, has also built an impressive international competition record. In March, he won first prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition in South Carolina. In June, he took first prize in the junior division for pianists aged 11 to 14 at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He added another distinction in July, winning second prize in the junior division and a special award for his performance of a 20th-century work at the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists.

Beyond their individual achievements, the three pianists have shared milestones, as they developed their skills on the international circuit. Shin and Lee Jeong-woo both advanced to the finals of the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists in 2023 and the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan in 2024.

今年，三位由现代汽车郑梦九基金会资助的韩国青年钢琴家在欧洲和美国的国际比赛中获奖。申英浩于10月17日在意大利举行的乔瓦尼·巴蒂斯塔·维奥蒂国际音乐比赛中荣获第二名；李正宇于9月在罗马尼亚举行的乔治·埃内斯库国际比赛中荣获第一名；李珠妍则在美国三项比赛中获奖。这些奖学金获得者正朝着国际音乐事业迈进。

19岁的申于2023年获得基金会奖学金，目前在巴黎高等师范音乐学院学习。

9月19日，18岁的李正宇在罗马尼亚雅典娜神庙举行的乔治·埃内斯库决赛中演奏了弗雷德里克·肖邦的第二钢琴协奏曲。

李正宇获得的第一名奖项包括有机会在 2028-29 演出季期间在巴黎科尔托音乐厅举办独奏音乐会。

15 岁的李柱言 (Lee Ju-eon) 在 3 月份的希尔顿黑德国际钢琴比赛中获得一等奖，并在 6 月份的吉娜·巴考尔国际钢琴比赛少年组比赛中获得一等奖。

在 7 月份举行的克利夫兰国际青年艺术家钢琴比赛中，李柱言获得了少年组二等奖，并因其演奏的一首 20 世纪作品而获得特别奖。

发布于2026年10月23日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

从左至右依次为钢琴家申英浩、李正宇和李珠言。图片由郑梦九基金会提供。

三位韩国年轻钢琴家——在现代汽车郑梦九基金会的支持下——今年获得了国际认可，在欧洲和美国的主要比赛中获得了最高奖项。

19 岁的申英浩在 10 月 17 日于意大利韦尔切利落幕的第 76 届乔瓦尼·巴蒂斯塔·维奥蒂国际音乐比赛中获得钢琴组第二名。

18 岁的李正宇 (Lee Jeong-woo) 于 9 月在罗马尼亚布加勒斯特举行的第 20 届乔治·埃内斯库国际钢琴比赛中获得一等奖，而 15 岁的李珠言 (Lee Ju-eon) 在今年上半年在美国举行的三项国际钢琴比赛中获奖。

这些成就凸显了新一代钢琴家的进步，他们在基金会的持续支持下，正在追求国际职业生涯。

申在国际比赛巡回赛上继续保持强劲势头，在 2025 年举行的都柏林国际钢琴比赛中获得第二名，并在潘乔·弗拉迪格罗夫国际钢琴比赛中获得特别奖。

Shin于2023年被选为基金会奖学金获得者，目前正在巴黎高等师范音乐学院学习。

“尽管准备时间很短，但我很高兴能取得好成绩，”申说。“我会展现出我的进步。”

李正宇是该基金会奖学金获得者中表现最突出的选手之一，他在9月19日举行的乔治·埃内斯库国际钢琴比赛中获得钢琴组一等奖。在罗马尼亚雅典娜神庙举行的决赛中，他演奏了弗雷德里克·肖邦的第二钢琴协奏曲。

最后一个奖项将使他有机会在 2028-29 演出季期间在巴黎的科尔托音乐厅举办独奏音乐会。

李在就读于首尔著名艺术学校艺苑学校期间，于2022年入选该基金会的奖学金项目。此前，他曾于2024年在德国埃特林根国际青年钢琴家比赛中获得高级组一等奖。

三兄弟中最小的李柱言也取得了令人瞩目的国际比赛成绩。今年三月，他在南卡罗来纳州希尔顿黑德国际钢琴比赛中荣获一等奖。六月，他又在犹他州盐湖城举行的吉娜·巴考尔国际钢琴比赛中，摘得11至14岁青少年组的桂冠。

7 月，他又添一项殊荣，在克利夫兰国际青年艺术家钢琴比赛中获得少年组二等奖，并因演奏 20 世纪作品而获得特别奖。

除了各自的成就之外，这三位钢琴家在国际赛场上不断提升技艺的过程中，也共同取得了一些里程碑式的成就。申智英和李正宇都曾晋级2023年克利夫兰国际青年钢琴比赛和2024年日本滨松国际钢琴比赛的决赛。