South Korean violinist Seonglan Hong receives the €5,000 first prize and performance opportunities
The finals of the 8th Mirecourt International Violin Competition took place on 9 November at La Rotonde in Thaon-les-Vosges, France. The three finalists performed a concerto with the National Opera Orchestra of Lorraine, conducted by Alizé Léhon.
First place and €5,000 was awarded to South Korean violinist Seonglan Hong, 24. She wins the opportunity to perform at the opening concert of the 2027 competition, a recital in Paris during the Jeunes Talents season, a recital in Saint-Dié de Musique Espérance, and a solo concert with the Ensemble Orchestral Epinal La Belle Image.
Hong also received special prizes including the €300 prize for the Best Interpretation of a French Sonata, the Orchestra Prize, the Audience Prize, as well as both the Contemporary Lutherie and Archetiers special prizes, receiving a two-year loan of a violin by Léa Trombert and a modern bow offered by La Venotte and the Jeunesses Musicales de Mirecourt.
No second prize was given, while the third prize of €1,000 was jointly awarded to Hungarian violinist Gáspár Kelemen, 17, and US violinist Jonathan Okseniuk, 19.
Hong is a graduate of the Seoul Arts High School and the Seoul National University, and has studied with teachers including Young Uck Kim and Sanghee Kwon. Among her achievements, she won the fourth prize in the 2022 Sendai International Music Competition, the second prize in the 2019 Busan Music Competition and the third prize in the 2019 JoongAng Music Competition. She was also a competitor in the 2023 Michael Hill International Violin Competition.
This year’s jury comprised the competition’s artistic director, Marianne Piketty, as well as Radu Bildar, Sophia Jaffé, Don Suk Kang, Elisabeth Kufferath, Marco Rizzi and Ulf Wallin.
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